Lost to Memory
by winds81
Summary: Post-war, Hermione is works break and cure curses for the Ministry and St. Mungo's. The sudden appearance of a Death Eater's mask at a party, and the subsequent murder of a muggle women throw her world into chaos. As the body count starts piling up, the question becomes can she find the murderer before they find her?
1. Chapter 1

It was a cool crisp evening, stars twinkling bashfully from behind pearlescent clouds that littered the sky. Hermione sighed deeply as she leaned against the marble balustrade of the balcony, the dark grey rock smooth and chilly under her arms. She shivered slightly and took a sip from her glass of wine, eyes trained on the night sky as if she could divine the future from its depths. Behind her the muted sounds of an extravagant party turning more rambunctious strained through the glass doors, and she chewed her lower lip unsure if she should stay outside or return.

There was the soft click of the door knob and the volume of the party increased for a moment before being muffled again. Turning her head she smiled softly at her new companion and then looked back at the night sky.

"Evening Lucius" she said softly, swirling the dark red liquid around in her glass. His approach was silent, save the soft response he gave once he was next to her.

"Good evening Miss Granger" he drawled, sending small ripples of pleasure through her. Tipping her head to the side she looked at his profile, admiring his usual impeccable state of dress and grooming. From the perfect coif of his silky blonde locks, to the shine of his shoes he looked every bit the high society wizard he was. Self consciously she ran her hand down the front of her dress, trying to press out the wrinkles that seemed to inevitably find her no matter what she wore and silently wished she wasn't so naturally frumpy.

"I thought we'd agreed upon first names" she teased lightly. Lucius raised an eyebrow and quirked the side of his mouth.

"You, my dear, insisted on them. I was perfectly content with formal titles" he responded, aristocratic arrogance coloring every word. Hermione rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Oh suh, can you evah forgive mah impertinent behavyah?" she simpered back in a southern drawl, and then giggled at his shudder.

"I'll forgive you anything if it means you never speak to me like that again" came the dry response. Hermione chuckled again before turning her eyes back to the night sky.

"So, Lucius" he turned his eyes on her sharply, a little amusement glittering in them at her emphasis on his first name, "What draws you away from the excitement?" she asked, small smile still playing on her lips.

"Amazingly Miss Granger, as much fun as seeing a large group of mid twenty year olds get drunk and grope each other at what should be an otherwise formal event it, I decided I'd had enough when Miss Parkinson turned her affections on me" Hermione grimaced. Post -war, many of the pureblood families that had been held in check to duty and not desire by Voldemort had broken their marriage arrangements for their children. Pansy Parkinson, who had very few redeeming qualities besides her bloodline in the first place, had been particularly put out that she would not be getting tied to one of the wealthiest wizarding families in Britain and had systematically tried to work her way back in. Unfortunately for her, Draco had found a woman he truly did love – an American witch who was delightful, even if her accent did make Lucius' skin crawl – and thus she'd turned her attentions to the eldest Malfoy. The party this evening was in fact to celebrate Draco's engagement, and though it was meant as a formal event it was obviously disintegrating as the evening wore on.

"And you? Why are you hiding?" came the light responding question, though she could feel the concern behind his words. She chewed her lower lip for a moment, allowing the silence that followed to get pregnant with expectation. She hated to admit the truth, especially to him.

"Oh…well, you know" she lied glibly, hoping her tone came off as convincing, unable to meet his eyes with her own "As wonderful as the party is, it's hard watching your friends get married and move on. Leaves me wondering and wanting for more, you know?"

"Indeed" came the concise response and she winced a little. He quite clearly knew she was lying to him, and she began to chew at her lip again, "Forgive me if I don't believe you, but given that you once claimed my son makes you – what was that again? 'Throw up a little in your mouth'? I have a hard time believing that watching him get married off is really that much of a heart sore for you"

"Well its not so much DRACO getting married off that makes me contemplate my future – or lack thereof – just, you know, friends in general. Everyone has someone but me. Getting married, having babies… I just wonder if it will ever happen" she finished, inwardly wincing at her attempt to continue. It sounded pathetic even to her own ears, which flushed in embarrassment at her own stupidity. She heard Lucius shift his stance next to her and chanced a quick look at him. Catching his grey eyes bearing into her own, she ducked her head and looked away again.

"Hermione" came the response, compassionate but commanding. Her shoulders slumped a little as she leaned both elbows on the balcony.

"I'm sorry Lucius. It just…sometimes it still gets to me. In that room" She felt him intake a breath sharply in sudden realization, "The noises or if something moves and I'm back…I can hear the screaming, and feel…feel the pain" she shivered wrapping her arms around her middle as she turned to face him. She cursed inwardly at her own foolish emotions as she felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes and she swiped them away angrily with the back of her hand.

She felt an arm reach out and pull her against his side, trying to offer her comfort. "Even after all these years?" his voice was warm, but wistful. She nodded against his shoulder and felt him sigh. They remained silent, there was nothing they could say. The past was the past, and it couldn't be changed. Words were cheap and actions meaningless.

After lingering moments of shared companionship passed them by she felt Lucius lean over and press a kiss to the top of her head, a gesture he frequently bestowed on her "You know Miss Granger, if you really want to have a baby I'd be more than happy to help" he murmured into her hair, causing her to gasp and then laugh.

"You know, Lucius, anyone can make a baby but it takes a real man to be a father" she teased back, lifting her head to gaze into his eyes. He tossed his head back and laughed his rich, baritone laugh that sent chills racing up and down her spine. His grey eyes caught hers, and he gave her a full smile, his whole face lighting up with amusement. He was so classically handsome it bordered on beautiful and it always took her breath away. She couldn't help but smile back, and then leaned her forehead on his shoulder, chuckling into his dress robes. The hand that had been around her waist lifted up and began stroking her back. This was how it was with them, the intimacy of a relationship without the real relationship. Touches, whispers, small gestures. They danced on the edge of something real, but neither crossed the barrier into that something more. The sounds of the party in the background lifted again, signaling someone was coming out onto the balcony. Sighing in resignation, she lifted her head to view the intruder to their private moment.

Glass shattered on the floor as her goblet of wine slipped through nerveless fingers and a shrill, breathy shriek slipped through her lips. Absent, black eyes stared at her from behind a porcelain mask, breath curling in the cool night air. He didn't move, his robes swirling eerily around his feet in the evening breeze and for a moment she wondered if she was dreaming. A low guttural growl came from behind the mask, and she stepped backwards.

She felt, more than saw Lucius' head snap up and turn to where she was looking. In a move too fast for her to track he shoved her back behind him and whipped his wand out, leveling it with the expressionless face.

"Who are you?" he snarled, his own face a vicious mask. Hermioned grasped at the back of his robes, burying her face into the soft velvet material, trying to recompose herself enough to be of help. The terrace was silent for a moment, heavy fear dripping from every pore.

Drunken laughter broke the stillness, and the intruder collapsed, pulling off his mask. Hermione sagged, sinking to her knees in relief. Lucius swore brilliantly and strode to the nameless guest, dragging him up by the back of his robes.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" he roared, causing the young man to cough and catch himself mid laugh. Instantly sobering he yanked himself out of the blonde man's grasp and straightened his robes.

"Dude, chill. It was just a joke man. A dare. Seriously, no need to get all stodgy" he scoffed back at Lucius as he grabbed for the mask. Lucius pulled the mask out of his reach, simultaneously leaning forward to hiss

"This is not a joke"

"Dude, they're just costumes"

Hermione wasn't sure how she managed to get to her feet, but she found herself standing next to the older Malfoy, restraining him from physically harming the guest. Glaring at the stupid man she snapped sharply "Get out"

The young man yanked his arm out of Lucius', favoring him with a hard glare before he left the two alone once more. As the door clicked shut Hermione let go of his robes and sobbed loudly, doubling over and pressing her palms onto her thighs. Lucius dropped to his knees, one hand on the ground, dragging in deep breaths.

"I thought" she murmured, "I thought…Oh merlin, I really thought it was them. Lucius, gods, why didn't you destroy it?" her voice raised in desperation, trying to rationalize the last few minutes.

"I did" came his ragged reply. She raised her eyes to meet his, stormy with confliction.

"What?"

"I did. The damnable things were created to never be broken but after the war…after Narcissa…" he stopped with a shudder, "I tore apart my library to find a way to destroy them. I disintegrated all three earlier this year"

The implication hit her like a ton of bricks and a million questions popped into her head at once. For the first time ever she saw genuine fear flicker across the face of Lucius Malfoy.

"Hermione, that wasn't my mask"


	2. Chapter 2

_They hurried her down the halls of St. Mungo's, heels clicking on the stone floors with the impatience of great purpose. They weren't necessarily running, but it could only just be called walking. Hermione impatiently pushed an errant curl out of her face and back behind her ear, willing it to stay with the rest of her hair. The Mediwitch to her left was breathing heavily at their rapid pace, but was not slowing down, intent on getting them both to their destination. Little had been explained to her other than they had an important patient who required her attention. She huffed a little inwardly – if she had wanted to be a mediwitch she would have. Instead she'd chosen to study hard to cure curses in hopes that she could develop ways to manage and even reverse them. Not that she'd want to implement those cures- the war had stripped her of any resolution she used to have around injured persons._

 _The mediwitch turned sharply around a corner, causing Hermione to have to skip to catch up with her, and then stopped abruptly in front of a door. The elder woman turned a sharp eye on her and addressed her forthrightly for the first time since fetching her from her lab upstairs._

 _"Dr. Granger, I understand that you may be reluctant to take on this case, but believe me when I say you are the only one we trust to give it the attention it warrants"_

 _Hermione frowned at the statement, "Why do you say that?" The witch sighed, her eyes training back towards the door._

 _"Because we know, without a doubt, you will do what is right regardless of who is involved" Hermione's frown deepened, and the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up. She had a feeling she knew who was behind the door marked Suite A. As if on cue, the mediwitch swung the door inwards, exposing the occupants to her eyes._

 _Draco Malfoy sat next to the hospital, head hung down, hands clasping that of his mother's between them. He looked drawn and disheveled, his tie loosened around his neck and the top buttons of his shirt undone. For the first time ever, Hermione saw wrinkles in his slacks and his hair was loose and out of place. Her eyes flickered to Narcissa who looked exhausted, distraught and confused. Dark circles rimmed the bottoms of her eyes and she kept glancing around the room as if she didn't know where she was or how she had gotten into the bed she was in._

 _The mediwitch cleared her throat and Draco lifted his head, eyes widening in surprise as he saw Hermione._

 _"Granger?" he asked, clearly confused as to why she had been called. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing really came out. His eyes hardened a little when she didn't answer and turned to the other woman, "Why is she here?"_

 _The older woman straightened and pinned him with a look, "Because Dr. Granger here is one of the best we have in the fields of magical maladies and cures. She has done extensive research into some of the worst curses we face here and has developed brilliant cures to them" Hermione blushed a little under the praise, and felt her backbone get a little straighter, "Plus, she is a muggle and is familiar with muggle diseases. The symptoms your mother is displaying closely mirror a muggle condition referred to as Alzheimer 's disease, something Dr. Granger here is very well acquainted with"_

 _"My wife does not have a muggle disease" came the sneer from behind them, and Hermione jumped at the sound of Lucius Malfoy's voice so close to her. Her palms began sweating even as she willed her heartbeat to slow and she turned to face him._

 _He was, as always, perfectly dressed and showing none of the distress his son was. The small lines around his eyes and face however belied his concern, and the downward frown of his full lips exposed his distaste for the idea that his wife could be suffering from something so…inferior._

 _"Of course not, Mr. Malfoy" the mediwitch huffed with annoyance, "This is clearly a curse designed to mimic those symptoms"_

 _Hermione saw his face fall for a moment, and he swallowed hard before responding thickly, "It was Voldemort's final revenge. He cast it prior to his death without us knowing. It was to punish us for living when he did not"_

 _"Did he cast it on everyone?" Hermione asked, surprising even herself with her sudden question. Lucius' look of cold disdain rooted her to the spot, though she pulled herself taller._

 _"Of course not, what sort of punishment would that be? No, he handled it differently for everyone. For us it was to cause Narcissa to go mad" he responded coolly, as if he was speaking to someone of lower intelligence. Hermione nodded and scratched a note onto the clipboard she'd brought with her. As if taking her cue from her husband, Narcissa suddenly looked over at Lucius and furrowed her brow._

 _"Abraxas? What on earth are you doing here? I didn't think you and Lucius were talking anymore" The Malfoy matriarch turned a loving eye on her son, squeezing his hand, "Though its wonderful news isn't it? We're going to have a baby!"_

 _Sympathy squeezed at Hermione's heart as she watched father and son exchange looks. Apparently this wasn't the first time this had happened. Hermione moved forward and sat next to Narcissa on the bed._

 _"Hello Mrs. Malfoy" she said pleasantly, allowing a moment for eyes to focus on her. As they did the pale woman frowned a little._

 _"You're that Granger girl, Harry Potter's friend. Why are you in my room?"_

 _"Do you know where you are?"_

 _"In Saint Mungo's of course. With my Lucius" she turned to Draco to smile again, and then suddenly shook her head, "But how…you're too…What am I doing here?" her voice seemed suddenly small and scared, and she gripped Draco's hand harder._

 _"You're sick mum, they're going to help you" responded Draco, his voice tired, resigned. Narcissa turned to look at her son and she frowned a little deeper._

 _"Why are you calling me mum, Lucius?" Hermione saw Draco's face fall even more, devastated that his own mother didn't recognize him. She stood from the bed and place a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. Rival or not, no one deserved to go through this. He looked up at her, a small, thankful smile on his lips before he returned his attention to his mother again._

 _Turning to the elder Malfoy she noted the tears that appeared to be sparkling in his grey eyes. She knew through society gossip that Lucius and his father had never really gotten along, and to know that his wife couldn't tell them apart…well, she wasn't sure if he had a heart but if he DID it must be breaking in half._

 _"I'll get to work on this immediately Mr. Malfoy. I'm sure I'll be able to turn something up. Might I ask how long the symptoms have been going on?" she asked, attempting to keep her tone as professional as possible. He tore his eyes away from his wife and son, and stared at her as if searching for some sign of hope._

 _"Approximately two weeks" came the soft reply, the acid from earlier gone. She sucked in a sharp breath._

 _"Did she just start like this or have they gotten worse?" she asked, in a low voice. He shook his head, and then turned it slightly as if keeping her from seeing the emotions that flitted across his face._

 _"We thought she was being silly at first. When she first called Draco by my name we thought she was joking about how similar we look. Then it got worse…now she doesn't even recognize him as her own son. She goes about the house either looking for him as if he were a toddler, or believing she's expecting a child" his voice cracked a little, and Hermione reached out unconsciously to place a hand on his arm. He looked down sharply at her hand, and she dropped it self-consciously, drawing his gaze back to her own._

 _"I'll do everything I can Mr. Malfoy" she said softly, and after a brief pause he nodded his head._

 _The last thing she heard as she left the room was Narcissa crying out, looking for her little Draco._

Hermione flew down the stairs to the manor, Lucius trailing behind her by only a few feet and calling her name. She dashed past the door to the drawing room which was hanging open, raucous party still in full swing inside, and down the hall towards the office she knew was at the end. Flinging the door open, she rushed towards the large oak desk in the middle and began pushing papers aside.

"Where is it…where is it…" she muttered, opening drawers. Lucius burst into the room a moment later.

"Miss Granger…Hermione! What are you doing?"

"Where is it?" she demanded, more to herself than to him.

"Where is what?" he asked, exasperation heavy in his voice as he tried to grab the papers she pushed off the desk in her desperate search.

"Dad? What's going on?" Draco's worried voice sounded from the doorway. Crowing a triumphant sound, Hermione lifted a bundle of papers up in her hands.

"The Daily Prophet? Honestly Hermione…" huffed Lucius, the mask dangling unceremoniously from his fingers as he approached her. She lifted one hand, palm facing him in a gesture that broached no argument and he stopped abruptly.

"Is that…?" asked another voice from the doorway, and Hermione looked up as Draco's fiancée Amelia looked in. She followed her line of sight and winced, eyes travelling up to meet Lucius'. He glanced down and cursed under his breath.

"Yes" he responded tersely, "It is a Death Eater's mask"

Draco paled visibly as he stared at the relic of their former life, "But I thought you…"

"I did" came the sharp retort, "We had a visitor tonight. He was wearing it" If possible, Draco paled even further and his fiancée gave him an alarmed look.

"What did he do?" Came the faint response, but it was drowned out by Hermione's half elated, half horrified voice.

"Here it is! Oh gods…"she trailed off as she looked at the excerpt in the paper and Lucius came around to stand behind her, reading over her shoulder. She pointed at the box she was looking at and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath from the man behind her.

"What is it?" Asked Draco's voice from across the room, and two sets of eyes shot up at him.

"It says" Hermione started a bit weakly, "It says that earlier this week former Death Eater Welton Yaxley was released from Azkaban for good behavior and supposed psychological reform. Last night his body was found in an alley in muggle London, arms and legs tied, mutilated and missing several pieces" she blanched at that and Lucius took up where she left off.

"They think it was a planned attack, likely by more than one person" his voice rumbled next to her ear and she leaned slightly back towards him. She felt his body stiffen and heard him swear softly under his breath again. She turned her head to catch his eye.

"Do you think?" she asked quietly, trying to allow her thoughts a chance to catch up with her words. The grim set of his mouth and eyes was all the confirmation she needed, "Merlin…They're coming for reformed Death Eaters aren't they?"

"It would appear that way. And if tonight's events are any indication, they plan to save us for last"


	3. Chapter 3

_Hermione stared blankly at the page in front of her, trying to reabsorb all the information it held. Really, the little it DID say about neurological conditions brought on by curses had almost no bearing on the case in front of her. But, at this point she would take ANY information she could get that would lead to forward momentum. Sighing, she slammed the tome shut and put her head down on her work table. This was ridiculous._

 _"Granger?" Came a soft voice from her doorway and she raised her hand, waving the intruder inside._

 _"Over here" she called, her voice muffled by the stone slab. She heard a small chuckle from over her head before a mug was placed in her view. Sitting up she was surprised to see Draco Malfoy sit down in the chair next to her._

 _"Not going well?" he said, attempting to keep his tone light. She grimaced a little as she picked up the mug and sniffed at it questioningly, "Hot Chocolate. And no, it's not been laced with anything"_

 _Her lips quirked in a small smirk and she took a sip of the steaming liquid. Moaning in delight, she grinned a little and asked "Hmmm…Do I detect a very faint almond taste?"_

 _Draco sputtered into his own drink, and laughed out loud startling them both. The room fell silent for a moment as they surveyed each other._

 _"Look Granger, I know I was a right prat to you in school but I want you to know I'm glad you're on this case" his eyes were serious, and he spoke quickly as if trying to get the words out before he lost his nerve. Hermione sat, cup poised at her lips, eyebrows up in surprise, "Don't look at me like that. You're brilliant and you know it. And you're a good person…I don't know if anyone else would look at my mum as seriously as I know you will"_

 _Draco stood and started to pace agitatedly, "I know…I know our family doesn't have that great of a standing anymore. But you have to understand, my father became involved with Voldemort because of HIS father. He was young and impressionable and I know it doesn't excuse anything but…" he paused, seeming unable to get his thoughts out. Hermione stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt him._

 _"After Voldemort disappeared the first time they never thought he was coming back. They didn't know…didn't know anything. And then there started to be whispers, and rumors and soon it was more than all that. My dad, even though he acted like an arse, did everything he did to protect us"_

 _Draco turned back to look at Hermione, his face open and vulnerable. She didn't know what to say, so she just nodded thoughtfully and gestured him back over to sit down._

 _"I know this doesn't erase anything" he said as he returned to his seat, "but I never hated you"_

 _She smiled wanly, "Well, you did a good job of pretending otherwise" His face fell a little and she reached out a hand to squeeze one of his hands, "We were children Draco. It might take me a while to forgive and forget everything, but luckily we have a lifetime to do so" Her reward was a small smile on his face, eyes slightly hopeful for the first time._

 _"So Granger, tell me about this..ah.. Al's Hymen's disease is it?" he asked, bringing up his true reason for his visit. She chuckled a little and placed her mug down on the table once more._

 _"Alzheimer's disease" she corrected, "It's a muggle disease that affects the brain. Causes loss of memory, confusion, loss of conscious control of various bodily functions. It is, unfortunately degenerative and fatal. As of now the muggles have no cure for it"_

 _"But the wizarding world does?" he asked, hopeful. Hermione grimaced again and shook her head._

 _"Honestly? That's what I've been looking for but there's no mention of it. No spells that even remotely begin to mimic what we're seeing in your mother" she gestured with annoyance, "But there HAS to be. Tom Riddle was brilliant, but even he would have needed a template for something this complex. I just don't know where he might have found the resources to conjure up such a spell"_

 _"My dad" responded Draco quietly. Hermione's eyebrows shot up and she inwardly cursed herself. She'd forgotten that the Malfoy's had a huge library in their manor, "He has a ton of books on the Dark Arts in our home"_

 _"Bloody hell Draco, you're probably right" the wheels began to turn, "Do you think he'd allow me to go through them?"_

 _"Do you think it could really help my mum?" he asked. She nodded hesitantly._

 _"I can't swear to it, but if Voldemort DID get his information there it could be a start"_

 _"Well, I think he'd let you do anything if it might help her" Hermione nodded once more and went to stand up._

 _"Wait, Granger" She looked back at Draco, "I…ah…The mediwitch… She said you had personal experience with this condition" He let the statement trail off and she sighed, sitting back down._

 _"My grandfather was afflicted with Alzheimer's" she said softly, "It was very difficult on both my grandmother and my mother. In the end, he kept asking what this old woman was doing in his house and ordering my mother around like his maid. Fortunately, he passed away before he could starve to death"_

 _Draco's face was impassive before he said, "Then I'm really glad you're the one on the case"_

Hermione watched Lucius as he paced the floor of his office, pausing briefly by the fireplace before starting up again. A shaky hand reached out to grab the bottle of firewhiskey he'd left on his desk accompanied by a small tumbler and she found herself pouring several fingers worth.

"Gods be damned!" came the explosive curse from across the room and she startled, nearly dropping the glass. Her wide, chocolate eyes flickered up to Lucius' face which had contorted into a mask of anger and self loathing.

"How many times do I have to pay for the same mistake?" his words were bitter, harsh, and landed heavily in the air around them. She'd heard this epitaph before, but it never failed to cut her to the bone. She placed the tumbler back on the desk without having taken a drink, mind too numb for the moment with too much information being processed too quickly.

"I can't" came the whisper, and she watched the emotions flicker across his normally stoic face. He stopped pacing once more, eyes trained on the fire "I can't do this again. I can't watch them hurt my family again" She felt the strong tug on her heart again, and stood to go to him. He turned his head towards her at the movement, and stretched an arm in silent invitation. She slid against his side and wrapped an arm around his waist, even as he tucked her head under his chin, settling her against his body.

"We have time Lucius. We know what they plan to do, and that they want to take their time doing it" she murmured into his chest and she felt him swallow hard, tightening his grip around her waist.

"You don't understand" he pleaded above her, "You weren't here last time. There was no escape from it"

She pulled her head back from him and lifted her hands to cup his face between them, allowing a slightly teasing smile to grace her lips, "Yes, but this time you have something you didn't before. This time you have me"

She saw the edges of his lips curve upwards as he stared into her face, steely eyes trained on her own. He moved his left hand to grasp her right one, and turned his head to place a kiss in her palm. Her heart fluttered and she took in a sharp little breath. His eyes glittered with something indefinable and she unconsciously licked her lips. His head dipped towards her and she felt her eyelashes begin to flutter close at his proximity, anticipating the kiss that was to follow.

"I am afraid they will use you, like they did Narcissa" Came the quiet response when he was a breath away from her lips. She froze, eyes snapping open. And there it was.

That huge, gaping hole between them that just so happened to have a name and a face and a history. Narcissa Malfoy nie Black, the love of Lucius' life, the mother of his child and the one he'd shared most of his adult life with. Hermione felt her heart break a little again, but before she could answer a shrill ring cut through the air.

They both jumped, and Hermione disentangled herself from his embrace before launching for the oak desk again. She fumbled briefly with the top drawer before sliding it open and grabbing the chirping mobile from within. The number for a muggle hospital flashed on the screen, and she swore under her breath.

"Why the hell do you keep that damnable thing?" Lucius demanded from across the room, and her eyes cut back to him even as she flipped the phone open to answer. She was so surprised to see him looking flushed and slightly disheveled she almost missed the response of the person on her phone.

"What?" she asked, embarrassed that she needed the other party to repeat their question. Immediately however she sobered and responded, "I'll be there in a few minutes".

Lucius gave her a questioning look as she flew around the office grabbing her cloak from where she had left it earlier, along with a couple other personal effects. "That was work. They need me to look into a case in muggle London for them" she said, trying to avoid looking into his eyes. She felt the heat of him staring at her for a long moment before his dry, controlled

"Indeed"

Hermione sighed a little before looking up at him. If she hadn't spent so much time with him over the last few years she probably wouldn't be able to read his expression, but right now it spoke of confusion and…disappointment? She shook her head. Wishful thinking. She offered him a small smile before she grabbed a handful of floo powder off the mantle. Before she could throw it however he grabbed her wrist, forcing her to look up at him.

"Come back tonight" he pleaded, expression strained and worried. She nodded hesitantly and then reached over to caress his cheek with her fingers. His hand relaxed from her forearm.

"I'll return if I can" she said softly and then turned back to the fireplace, shouting "New London Hospital" and stepping through before he could stop her again.

She found herself being rushed through the corridors of the hospital again – something that seemed almost commonplace now in her line of work. With an inward chuckle she wondered if she'd ever walked to see a patient anytime in the last several years. Likely not. Of course, to be fair, most of the conditions she worked on were life threatening at best. At worst, they often caused unbearable torture to their victim prior to death.

However, this time Hermione felt herself frowning as they went deeper into the bowels of the hospital. The signs on the walls told her they were headed to the morgue and she felt her heart and stomach sink a little. This was not likely a race against time, though something had the hospital administrators riled up enough they had to fetch her at a late hour of night to examine a body. She shuddered at the thought. She hated dead bodies.

They approached the final corridor to the morgue, two swinging grey doors against the wall ahead of them. She sucked in a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever was ahead of them. However, to her surprise, a familiar, messy black head sauntered out.

"Harry!" she called out, delighted to see her old friend. He turned towards her, vivid green eyes landing on her face and he gave her a large grin.

"Hermione!" he called back, and she rushed forward to fling her arms around his waist in a hug. She felt his arms settle around her shoulders as he placed a brotherly kiss on her forehead. Pulling back after a moment she smiled up at him again, and then frowned.

"Are you on this case?" she asked, a bit confused. The lightness that had graced his features a moment ago disappeared and he frowned down at her.

"I am. And they called you?" he responded, frown deepening, "Things must be worse than we thought"

"What do you mean?" A cold chill started to creep up her spine and she fought her urge to shiver. Very little swayed Harry one way or the other, but it was all over his face. Something was very wrong.

"We found a woman tonight Hermione. A muggle woman. She was" he paused, eyes watching her face carefully, "She was murdered. But it was more than that. There are runes carved all over her flesh. We don't know what they all mean, but we're pretty sure they were placed prior to her death. And it was not a pretty death" Hermione felt all the blood drain from her face. Knowing Yaxley had been murdered was bad enough, but now a muggle as well? The implications were horrifying to face.

"I know you hate seeing bodies 'Mione, but we need you to identify some of the runes and see if you can match them to any of the curses you know" She nodded mutely, mulling over all the information she had received tonight.

Harry pushed the door to the morgue opened and ushered her inside. She swallowed hard, trying to fight the bile that was threatening to rise to the back of her throat. There was a single body covered by a sheet in the middle of the stark, grey room and this time she couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through her body. She really did hate seeing death.

Harry pulled the sheet back from the woman, starting at her feet and thrusting it upwards revealing her body. He allowed it to drop back down as he reached her neck, obscuring her face from Hermione's view. She offered him a tight, grateful smile before moving forward to examine the body. She clucked slightly as she examined the marred skin. Runes covered almost every inch of her body, depicting death, despair, filth, with all variety of vile symbols. She frowned as she took note of the dried blood between her thighs. Apparently they had defiled her inwardly as well.

As her eyes drifted downwards she turned her head to the side, her breath catching as she reached a single rune on the back of the woman's left calf. Her eyebrows shot to her hairline and she stood straight up.

"Here!" she pointed and Harry came over to her side, "Most of the runes are generic, they don't hold any specific power. They just speak of the disdain the murderer had for their victim. But this rune, this I've seen before"

She sucked in a breath and continued, "When the Death Eaters dissolved after the war, several of the families ended up in Saint Mungo's for one magical malady or another. Typically one person in the family was targeted and cursed, which ultimately victimized everyone within the family. I found this mark on each of the cursed family members"

Harry frowned, "So you think this was done by a copy cat?"

She shook her head, "Harry, tonight I was at the Malfoy Estate, celebrating Draco's engagement" He rolled his eyes and she swatted his arm, "I know how you feel about them. But…Harry, someone showed up in Death Eater robes and mask"

"Who?" he prompted immediately. She shrugged and gestured helplessly.

"Some party guest. He said it had been a dare. I don't know. But the mask wasn't one of the Malfoy's" she responded. Harry's brows furrowed.

"So what are you telling me Hermione?"

Her lips twitched and she chewed on them, "Not all the Death Eaters were forced to serve Voldemort, Harry. Some did it because they truly enjoyed the power and believed what he preached"

There was a long, pregnant pause , "Merlin, Hermione, you think they're back on the rise, don't you?"


	4. Chapter 4

_Narcissa was awake when Hermione entered her room later that day, and she took a moment to observe her before approaching. The Malfoy matriarch was known in wizarding society for her beauty and persistent elegance in the face of all challenges and seasons. She was tall and willowy, almost matching Lucius for height with lean lines that hadn't rounded out with age or children. She had the pale complexion of her husband and son, but where they sported silver blonde hair hers was the color of warm honey. Additionally she had light blue eyes that softened features that were almost too pronounced, and full lips that helped round her face just enough to add to her ethereal beauty. Due to the curse, however, her skin was beginning to look jaundice and sallow and lines were starting to crease around her eyes and mouth. Dark circles dominated her eyes and her cheeks were starting to cave inwards. Her hair was greasy and limp and dangled unattractively around her face, with little incentive to do anything else. Hermione sighed, feeling at once very sorry for the once regal woman._

 _As she proceeded further into the room she saw the older woman's eyes land on her and watch her sharply as she approached the bed._

 _"Good morning Lady Malfoy" she said softly, sitting in a chair next to her bed. There was a pause before Narcissa inclined her head slightly and responded_

 _"Good morning Miss Granger"_

 _"How do you feel today?" A once elegant eyebrow arched and a no so dainty snort was her reply, and Hermione felt herself grinning in return, "Sorry, I'm obligated to ask"_

 _"I'm really sick, aren't I?" asked Narcissa, her hands wringing the blanket that covered her lap. The grin slid off of Hermione's lips and she allowed the gravity of the situation to rest back on her shoulders as she nodded._

 _"I'm doing everything I can, but I don't know what curse they used on you. Truthfully, I've never seen it before" she said, not wanting to hide the facts. Narcissa nodded and then offered a tired, closed lipped smile._

 _"Well I suppose I should be grateful you're on the case. Draco always was ranting about you beating him out in grades at school and being an 'insufferable know it all' – though I believe he picked that last bit up from his godfather. I'd imagine in this situation it should work to our favor, however" she said softly. Hermione shrugged and nodded, unsure of how to respond. It was a backhanded sort of compliment, one that she was used to receiving but never quite sure how to take._

 _"Lady Malfoy, I understand you might not know how to answer this question, but I really do need to know how you feel. Aches, pains, how you feel when your husband and son are around, how you feel when others are around. I need to know it all"_

 _Narcissa sighed, "I'm not sure I can answer all of it. Right now, I feel.. . Well I supposed fine would be stretching it. I'm tired and that deep sort of achy that you get when you're ill. I can't muster up the desire to eat, though I know I probably should. I know where I am right now, I know approximately what day it is and what my family should be. But when Draco and Lucius walk in the room…It's like the whole world fades a little and a heavy fog settles in over my thoughts. I can't figure out who is who and what is what. I get confused and lost"_

 _"Does that happen any other time?" Hermione asked._

 _"No, it doesn't seem to. Only when they are around" she responded and Hermione nodded thoughtfully._

 _"Do you recall any time when a spell might have unknowingly been cast upon you?"_

 _Narcissa gave her another level, flat look, "My husband was one of Lord Voldemort's highest acolytes for many years. He lost favor in the last war, but we attended many revels with some very elite ranked Death Eaters who were well versed in the dark arts and wordless, wandless spells. Anyone at any time might have cast something upon us and we would never have known"_

 _Hermione blushed a little, embarrassed at how simplistic her question was faced with a woman who had seen far more horrors than she hoped she ever would. Her gaze drifted over Narcissa's withering form and she sighed again, "One more question, and then I'll let you get some rest. Do you know of any within the ranks who might have served as executioners?"_

 _There was a pause as the older woman thought for a moment and then shook her head, "I believe Lucius would likely be better to answer that question. Draco and I were never truly Death Eaters, though we were treated as such. Though, I do recall…Something… The Sons of Seth? The names Af and Kakabel. I just…" her gaze turned confused, and she began to mutter under her breath before turning to Hermione once more._

 _"Miss Granger, might I enquire as to what you are doing in my room? I hardly think Draco needs to be tormented by you and your ridiculous friends HERE as well as at school" she snapped sharply, startling Hermione with the sharpness of her tone. She nodded succinctly, before standing._

 _"Good day Lady Malfoy, I hope you feel better" she murmured, before leaving the room._

 _Once out in the hall, she leaned against the door and rubbed her face with the palms of her hands trying to absorb their conversation. She was no closer than she had been before, and she was afraid she would never get there. The only thing left to do was ask Lucius for his permission to use his library and pray he didn't laugh her straight back to Hogwarts. Straightening up, she turned to walk back to her labs only to find herself staring at a very broad, black chest._

 _"Mister Malfoy!" she squeaked, identifying him only by the serpent buttons of his shirt, before tipping her head up to lock eyes with him. A mildly amused smirk graced his lips as he took in her startled appearance. She grimaced a little, wondering if she would ever manage to keep her composure around him._

 _"Miss Granger. Come to visit my wife?" he responded, his tone unnaturally light. Hermione nodded mutely before stuttering_

 _"Yes. I mean, I was. I was trying to see if she could explain how she felt or if she remembered anytime when someone might have cursed her" Lucius responded with the same sort of snort that Narcissa had earlier and Hermione rolled her eyes before answering dryly, "Yes, that was approximately her response to the question as well"_

 _"Have you come any further in your research?"_

 _"No, unfortunately I haven't. I just don't have the sort of texts that would contain a curse of this…caliber" she said, delicately trying to avoid the accusation behind her words. Lucius lifted an eyebrow._

 _"Indeed"_

 _"Ah, sir, I spoke with Draco yesterday and he mentioned you might…I mean, I might..." she stammered, unsure of how to ask him for permission to use his library. A light chuckle startled her, even more so that it came from the man in front of her whom she never thought would have a sense of humor._

 _"I will infer from all your stuttering that you need to use my library" he responded. She smiled sheepishly._

 _"Yes sir, I think it would be much more productive than the drivel I'm combing right now" He nodded thoughtfully._

 _"Very well. I will adjust the wards to allow you in, though I request that you only travel via Floo" She nodded succinctly._

 _"Fair enough Mister Malfoy. And thank you" She caught a small twitch of his eye and his composure slipped for a moment._

 _"If it helps my wife, Miss Granger, I will do anything"_

Harry pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, a vertical crease distorting the area between his brows. Hermione sighed and shook her head.

"No, not really. I'm not convinced they're trying to recruit new members, but I do wonder if perhaps there are some rogue death eaters who believe they should to carry on Voldemort's work. And those who switched sides after the war certainly aren't going to be looked upon fondly by the ones who really believed that doctrine"

"One step at a time, Hermione" responded Harry, his face guarded, "All we have so far is one dead muggle and one dead Death Eater who wasn't exactly well loved by anyone"

Hermione huffed impatiently and wagged her finger at him, "That's not all we have and you know it. Don't you go into evasive Auror mode on me now Harry; if it wasn't for me you wouldn't have survived the war. It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots here. What's that you're always saying? If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck…" she trailed off.

"It probably is a duck" he finished, a small grin on his lips, "Damn you and your persistent ability to use my logic against me"

"Well it's true" she clucked back at him. Harry reached over and pulled the sheet back down the woman's body, tucking it in around her legs to prevent it from falling off.

"So say it is a Death Eater. Or more than one Death Eater. Who do you think we're looking at?" he mulled out loud. Hermione sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Well most of the pureblood families were involved somehow or another, but there are very few elite Death Eaters alive or out of Azkaban quite honestly" she replied quietly. Harry gave her a sharp look at her knowledge which she returned flatly, refusing to let it turn into a fight.

"So who are we looking at exactly? Crabbe? Goyle? Nott?" he asked, resigned. Hermione snorted indelicately.

"Please, do you remember those three lunkheads in school? Suffice it to say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" Harry chuckled and picked up with those he knew.

"Honestly, many of them died in the Battle of Hogwarts. Both Carrows were sentenced to the Dementor's kiss a few years ago; Avery is still in Azkaban so far as I'm aware as are Mulciber, Jugson and Wilkes. Several of the better known families were released when it was proven they hadn't actually fought in the war"

"So who does that leave? Rosier?"

"Was in Azkaban, died a few years back from an incurable curse. The only ones we really don't have locations on are Dolohov, MacNair and Selwyn"

"What of the LeStrange brothers?" she questioned, trying to pull names up. Harry shrugged.

"Our intelligence says they were both killed in a skirmish trying to leave Britain after the war. As were a few others" She nodded thoughtfully.

"So Dolohov, MacNair and Selwyn" she responded, musing over the three missing men, "Perhaps I can ask Lucius if he knows where they might try and hide out" Harry shrugged, tension in his shoulders.

"Hermione" he said, suddenly turning serious, "I don't think I need to tell you that you can't discuss this case with anyone. We're trying to keep it quiet for now"

"Hiding the truth now Harry? Isn't that what we used to get mad at the ministry about?" she answered, eyebrow arching at him. He rolled his eyes.

"You're not the only one who can connect the dots Hermione. If word gets out that a muggle woman was murdered and covered with runes…Well I'd rather not consider what sort of panic it might cause"

She sighed and nodded, conceding the point, "I suppose that's true. Though if we're correct, this probably won't be the last one" she warned. Harry nodded, hanging his head.

"I'm afraid you're most likely right"


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione stumbled back to her flat as the sun began to rise across the sky the next morning. Despite her promises to Lucius, she rationalized that it was no longer night and therefore she was no longer bound to return to the manor and all she REALLY wanted to do was curl up in her own bed and go to sleep. Groaning she rubbed a hand across her eyes as she fumbled with the keys to the door, trying to pick the correct one off her crowded chain in a fatigued haze. Irritated, she cursed and grabbed her wand grumbling "Alohomora", sighing in happiness as the door swung open.

A scuffle suddenly ensued at her feet and she cursed as a fluffy, brown tabby colored body darted out of the apartment. She cursed a little louder as she reached down, trying to grab the escape artist only to have him slip through her finders and take off for the closest exit.

"Dammit Lennon! Can't you just take a break for one night?!" she cried, swinging the door shut again and turning to give chase to the cat. Still wearing heels from the previous night, she could barely hobble after him as he made a mad dash for the open window at the end of the hall. While she fruitlessly tried to catch up he jumped onto the sill, slipped through the narrow crack and out into the chilly London evening. Groaning, Hermione slumped her shoulders and turned to trudge back to her apartment in defeat. A low chuckle to her left caused her to jump and swear, hand pressed over her heart.

"Dwenn!" she exclaimed, "What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?"

Her long time neighbor stepped out from his own threshold, the morning light glinting off his long black hair. She caught her breath a little and smiled weakly. Whereas Lucius was ethereally beautiful in his fair features, Dwenn was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. Chiseled jaw, angled cheekbones and aristocratic arch of his nose, complimented by long black lashes that covered dark chocolate eyes. He had a voice that was silky smooth even without trying, and though he never seemed to be interested in pursuing her, their relationship had that special push and pull of two people attracted to each other.

"It's a bit late for you, isn't it Hermione?" he teased gently before tipping his head to the side, "Or perhaps I should say it's a bit early" She waved a dismissive hand at him and continued on her trek to her flat.

"Long night" she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. He chuckled again and raised an eyebrow at her.

"So I see" he replied in a tone that suggested he saw perhaps more than was there. She rolled her eyes and leveled a glare at him.

"It was work,Dwenn, not that you would understand what that means" she retorted, a mildly haughty tone to her voice. His grin didn't abate.

"So the old man hasn't given it to you yet, eh kitten?"

She groaned and turned to give him a sharp glare, "DWENN" He raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I retract my last statement. Though I do submit to you this question…How long has it been since you got ANY?" Hermione sighed and pressed her forehead against her door, willing her normally charming neighbor to shut up. How long had she been close with Lucius now? Three years? Four? "Just think about it kitten" he said, amusement thick in his voice as he retreated into his own rooms.

He had a point, her inner voice conceded as she finally entered her flat. It was a small, roomy apartment. Two bedrooms, one living room/dining room combination, a full bath and a kitchen. Not much compared to the Malfoy manor, but it was home to her. She kicked her heels off and moaned in pleasure as her toes curled into the plush carpet floor.

A plaintive meow met her ears and she glanced down, smiling at the black feline twining his way around her ankles.

"Oh McCartney… I missed you too. Do you have to chase your brother off all the time?" she asked conversationally. Yellow green eyes blinked up at her in complete innocence and she patted him on the head before stumbling towards her bedroom. Her last thought before her body hit the bed was that if Lucius wasn't able to give her what she obviously wasn't getting enough of, perhaps Dwenn could fill in for a while.

The dream started the same way it always did – voices came at her from out of the dark, taunting her with their anonymous familiarity.

i"We've got Potter! We've captured Harry Potter!"/i

Muffled sounds of people moving around, voices that drowned each other out and spoke over each other in increasingly insistent volumes.

i"Bring them in"

"Yes, yes its Granger!"

"The prisoners must be placed in the cellar while, I think what to do"

"Take these prisoners….all except for the mudblood"/i

The room started to become clear around her and she could see the drawing room as it had been 10 years ago. Midnight blue walls covered with priceless paintings and family pictures. The fireplace that cheerfully warmed the room, ignorant of the actions of the occupants. The tall backed chairs and claw footed sofa, and…and Lucius staring at her with that expression on his face that looked halfway between regret and apology.

"Lucius" she cried "Please help me"

Her dream Lucius stood silent however, and smiled wistfully as the pain seared through all her senses. She screamed, unable to escape her prison or her dream. Next to him, Bellatrix appeared, heavy lids drooping over eyes that sparkled with insane intent. She lifted her wand again, whispering "Crucio"

"Lucius!" she howled, "Make it stop! Please, make her stop"

"Miss Granger" came his soft reply, his eyes watching her, though he made no attempt to come closer. Tears leaked from her eyes and she stretched an arm towards him.

"Please" she begged.

"Miss Granger" he called to her, his voice sounding like it was a million miles away. Pain shot through her again and she shrieked in agony.

"HERMIONE!"

She shot up in her bed, sweat trickling down her body, the scream dying on her lips as consciousness took her over. Shivering, her vision began to clear and she blinked hard to rid herself of the fog. As her surroundings sunk in she gasped at the man sitting on her bed in front of her.

"Lucius?" she asked in confusion. His grey eyes held deep concern in them as he regarded her disheveled form. He reached a hand out to push some of her hair out of her face, gently tracing her cheek as he did.

"I came to check on you after you didn't return last night" he said by way of explanation. She blushed a little and leaned into his touch, "When I got here I heard you screaming"

She cleared her throat and tugged her blankets up against her chest, "I was…" she faltered, "I was having a bit of a nightmare"

"You were calling my name" he said softly. She reached up to grasp the hand by her face and squeezed it reassuringly, despite the fear that still echoed in her from her dream.

"It's an old dream Lucius, nothing to worry over" she placated. He He looked as if he didn't believe her, but she changed the subject, "I'm sorry I didn't return last night. I got stuck at the hospital until late…or I suppose really it was early. I just wanted to get some rest"

He nodded, allowing the change of topic even as he studied her face, "I thought as much, but after the events of last night I had to make sure you were ok" Her heart skipped a little at his concern and she absently wondered if he knew what he did to her. She gave him a weakly reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, just exhausted and overwhelmed"

He ran a hand down to her forearm and squeezed slightly as if reassuring himself she was really there, alive and safe. Leaning forward, his head descended towards hers and she closed her eyes, tipping her face upwards slightly. His lips grazed her forehead and her inner voice sighed in disappointment, plaintively asking her how many close calls did she need to have before she gave up? She felt him pull back from her and she reluctantly opened her eyes again.

"When will I see you next?" he asked her. She gave a half smile, and shrugged.

"I'm not sure how crazy this case is going to get, but I'll at least try to floo tonight" she responded. He nodded and then stood, his eyes never leaving her face. He opened his mouth as if to say something, and then paused as if thinking better of it.

"Be safe, Miss Granger" was all that came out and then with a CRACK he apparated out of her flat.

Hermione sighed and pushed her covers down off her bed. She never could get back to sleep after that nightmare, and it didn't exactly help to wake and see the main focus in the dream sitting on her bed. She absently rubbed the top of her right foot and resigned herself to getting up for the day. Grabbing her towel she headed over to the bath to try and wash away some of the residual nightmare.

As she undressed, she frowned for as a moment a bright glimmer caught her eye. Looking at herself in the mirror over the sink she gasped. The protective runes that she'd had tattooed into her skin after the last war were all activated, standing out in stark silver relief against her pale skin. Tracing her fingers over them she frowned – the nightmare had always been intense, but it had never caused them to light up before. In search of what could have caused them to get set off she began to check the rest of her body – neck, shoulders, waist, hips and thighs. She frowned, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

And then she felt the itch on the top of her foot again. Looking down, she bit back another gasp and felt herself gag. Etched into skin of her right foot was the same triangle shape she'd seen on the muggle woman in the morgue.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hermione rubbed her eyes and groaned at the papers in her lap. She'd been excited initially at having access to the Malfoy Manor library, but now she was wishing she'd never set foot in the place. Not that her hosts had been cruel – they'd actually been quite pleasant. Draco frequently stopped by, dropping off food or tea or just to check on how she was feeling. Surprisingly, unlike with Harry or Ron or her other friends, his interruptions didn't irritate her and instead seemed to refresh her. Lucius more or less left her to her own devices, though she did catch him peeking in from time to time._

 _The library itself was a 2 story monstrosity with more books on the dark arts than she knew existed or wanted to know how they'd been acquired. The lower story was mostly devoted to both fiction and non-fiction books on contemporary subjects and to her surprise included several muggle authors mixed in. The whole second story however was devoted to magic in all its forms and a good two thirds of those were books on the dark arts. In a room that was already a good size larger than her flat, it was a most daunting task to pick out the books that held the most relevance._

 _This evening she was muddling her way through a text that was written in ancient Somalian, a language she had a weak grasp on at best, and was completely lost at the translation of certain key points in the spell. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers and took in a few cleansing breaths wondering again at how she'd gotten herself into this mess._

 _"Spells of Wicked Intention Miss Granger?" came a voice to her left and she shot out of her chair, papers to flying everywhere, her quill and wand to clattering across the floor._

 _"Mister Malfoy!" she exclaimed, pressing a hand over her heart as she spun to face the older wizard. Her eyes narrowed at the amused grin that played on his lips and without thinking she blurted, "You did that on purpose!"_

 _For the second time in her life she heard him chuckle before he leaned down to help collect the papers that had scattered across the floor, but didn't answer her. Blushing she knelt to gather them as well, picking up the aged leaflets delicately so as not to damage them. Leaning over she ducked her head down to check under the chair. As she sat back up her eyes focused on a pair of black patent leather shoes in front of her, and she rocked back on her heels, another blush creeping up her cheeks as she looked up into Lucius' laughing grey eyes. His left hand was extended towards her, and in it was her wand proffered as if it were the proverbial olive branch. She gave a tentative smile as she took it from his hand._

 _"While your efforts are quite impressive Miss Granger, might I offer you some input?" he asked as she stood, brushing off her skirt. She tipped her head to one side and gestured for him to proceed, "Voldemort was many things, but he was never terribly good at languages. He also had a particular fondness for Germanic and Russian curses as they tended to be the most inventive and… debilitating. It is unlikely we're looking for a curse in Ancient Somalian"_

 _Hermione grinned at him, barely able to keep herself from hugging the stolid man. It was just the break she had been hoping for, and she suddenly felt quite ridiculous for not thinking of asking Lucius for his input sooner. Really though, she had been questioning how much Voldemort's followers actually knew about the man himself as he likely hid any weaknesses in cruelty._

 _"Thank you sir" she answered, "That's exactly the sort of information I need but don't seem to have" She made an elaborate swish of her wand, and the papers in their hands jumped smartly together and back into the binder she'd found them in. Another swish of her wand and the book tucked itself away down one of the many shelves. Smiling with a little smug self importance she turned to look back at Lucius who had an inscrutable expression on his face. The smile melted a little as she watched him._

 _It was only then that their surroundings began to settle into her senses and she noted the small wrinkle in his nose. His eyes traveled across to the little machine that sat on the table closest to where Hermione had been, "What on earth is that terrible noise"_

 _She rolled her eyes, and bit back cheekily "Music, sir"_

 _Lucius gave her a level look, "Really? I quite thought it was an animal dying"_

 _Hermione gasped in mock disgust, "Honestly! You speak poorly of THE Sir Elton John? He's one of the foremost musicians in modern history"_

 _"Is he…did he just say the words 'Honky Cat'?" came the reply, and she felt her own lips quiver at the absurdity of the song. Arched eyebrows surveyed her and she gave a mock annoyed huff._

 _"Oh fine, I'm sure this is more your liking" and with another swish of her wand the music changed and so did his expression, nodding along with the song._

 _"Well, this is quite pleasant" he said, leaving Hermione feeling like she was stuck somewhere in the Twilight Zone, "Another muggle artist I assume?"_

 _She nodded in response, "Michael Buble. He does covers of the old standards by artists such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr" Lucius nodded as if he understood, though she doubted very much he knew half of what she'd just said._

 _"Do you have time for a break Miss Granger?" She blinked and gave him a blank look, "For dinner. You know, food for nourishment? You can hardly subsist on biscuits and tea alone"_

 _"I" she squeaked and then cleared her throat, "I…yes?"_

 _"Yes you will join us or yes you can subsist on tea and biscuits?" she blinked again – was the Lucius Malfoy TEASING her? She shook her head at the thought and gave what she hoped was a confident smile._

 _"Yes, I have time to join you for dinner"_

Three days had passed since Hermione had woken with the rune etched into her foot and she was worried about the fact that she couldn't seem to bring herself to tell anyone about it. Every time she tried it was as if there was something blocking the words or the diverting the conversation. The protective runes in her skin had begun to fade out again, leading her to believe that threat wasn't imminent, but a bad feeling still twisted in the bottom of her gut. Had the victims she'd seen before been under the same spell?

She rubbed the top of her right foot with her left one. She had been researching the rune, trying to dig up more information on its foundations. In actuality it was two runes in one. The most prominent was a triangle with a base that extended beyond the edges of the figure itself. Inside the triangle was a single straight line. The triangle was a rune that had dual purposes of testing and challenge, or protection and defense – depending on what intent they were placed with. The straight line was far more devious and was meant to ensnare the victim, holding the power of control and constraint. The two together formed a very powerful trap for those caught within its web. She just hoped she was strong enough to break it before the same fate befell her as those before her.

Flipping on the radio in her kitchen, she pushed her hair up off her neck before she began pulling out the ingredients for her dinner. She shook her head in amusement; years ago she would miss meals regularly just to continue her research. Somehow during her time at the Manor she'd gotten into the habit of eating at least dinner every night, and now never failed to stop to at least consume that meal.

"Miss Granger?" called a voice from the other room.

"In here!" she called. Water boiled merrily on the stove as she began to stir the sauce into another pot.

"Ah, something smells delicious" came the response from within the room. Smiling she turned to look at Lucius over her shoulder.

"It's just spaghetti" she said pertly, trying to peruse his form without letting on that was what she was doing. In all the time she'd known him, she count only a handful of times where she'd seen Lucius dress casually and tonight was one of those times. Dressed in his normal dark slacks, he had on a loose fitting blue button up shirt that was rolled up to his elbows at the sleeves and the top buttons loosened. His hair was lying casually around his face, and the normal lines of worry that marred his beautiful complexion seemed to be absent. She cleared her throat and turned back to her stove. His low chuckle from behind her caused a little shiver to crawl down her spine.

The heat of his body came up behind her and she jumped at the feel of his hands on her hips, his chest touching her back. He leaned his head over her shoulder and acted as if he were really interested in her cooking technique. His voice was low and seductive in her ear as he murmured, "I never understood why you chose to cook the muggle way"

Her hand shook a little as she went to stir the noodles, "It's something I can control without a wand and without magic", her voice cracking as she answered him. He made a noise in the back of his throat before he turned to nuzzle her neck with his nose, tracing from the crook up to the soft spot behind her ear and back down. She felt her heart skip, and her breathing start to come in little pants. She could almost hear the smile in his voice as he responded

"Maybe that's why I like you so much" The logical part of her voice yelled at her that she should be offended , annoyed, angered at his assumption, but just then he placed a kiss at the same place he'd been nuzzling and she felt herself sag back against him.

i"When you will you say yes to me?"/i she heard him sing softly in her ear along with the radio and the wooden spoon hit the floor as she turned in his embrace. His eyes were dark and stormy and she felt compelled to wind her arms around his neck.

"Lucius" she whispered, need heavy in her voice and without hesitation his lips crashed down onto hers. She felt his mouth moving sensuously, languidly against her own. They'd been dancing around each other for so long it was as if the floodgates had busted open and both were desperate to explain what they were feeling to each other. She traced the seam of his lips with her tongue and he opened his mouth to snake his own tongue out.

The buzzing in her ears gave way to the sounds of pants and moans, and she was delighted to hear a deep throaty moan pulled from his lips even as she reciprocated with one of her own. Her hands gripped at his shirt, and then at his shoulders and back and everywhere she could touch.

"Hermione?" came another voice calling from the other room, bouncing off the fog of seduction they were creating. She willed it to go away, to just for one night be allowed to live a fantasy come true.

"Hermione?" the voice called louder and she forced herself to break contact with Lucius' incredible, luscious, delicious mouth. Gasping for breath she grabbed his shirt at the shoulders and stared up into his eyes, trying to get a grasp on her sensibilities.

"Hermione?" the voice was at the door to the kitchen now, and she turned sharply to see Harry standing the door. She knew exactly what they looked like, and there was no way to hide the fact that they had been snogging like teenagers. Not that she wanted to – if she had her way she'd drag the blonde man to her bed and have her wicked way with him until they were both sated.

"Yes Harry?" she asked in a slightly sharp, and rather breathy voice. His green eyes narrowed at the two, and she felt a little thrill of delight that instead of releasing her Lucius pulled her against him a little more tightly and began stroking her back.

"We have a problem" he started. She gave an annoyed sigh, her patience finally snapping.

"There's ALWAYS a problem Harry. I've yet to see a night where there ISN'T a problem. Now does this problem require me leaving my flat or did you just come to discuss said problem with me? Because if it's the latter I can assure you I will still be available to talk in the morning" She could almost feel Lucius' smile above her head, and he coughed and turned his head away from Harry.

Harry's narrowed eyes took on a hardened glare, "Marcus Flint was just found strangled to death in his hotel room, along with the two muggle women he'd been sharing his bed with"

Damn it all.


	7. Chapter 7

Things were strained in Harry's office, and not just because of the rapidly rising body count. Hermione felt silly that she couldn't seem to remove the chip from her shoulder, but she was tired of being the one who had to do everything right all the time. Harry's cold looks were only serving to inflame her feeling of self righteousness, and the tension was beginning to escalate to epic proportions between them. In fact, the last time she'd felt this annoyed with her friend had been shortly after announcing her friendship with the two Malfoy males.

"Well they're DEAD Harry, what do you expect me to do with them?" she sniped at him, glaring at the pictures on his desk. Harry slammed the flat of his palms down on the hard wood and sneered at her.

"I would LIKE you to do your damn job and figure out what the hell is going on" He snarled back. She snorted.

"My JOB is to research curses Harry, not to be your personal call girl whenever you can't figure out something on your own" she bit back. A low growl emitted from his throat.

"Believe me, Hermione, my personal call girl would give me a lot more satisfaction" Hermione's jaw dropped, eyes round as she stared in disbelief at the man she had called a friend for over half her life.

"You…you bloody ARSE!" she exploded at him, drawing her wand in a rapid motion, "YOU have the bloody audacity to floo into MY flat and interrupt MY dinner, drag me away from what otherwise promised to be a very PLEASANT evening and NOW you're comparing me to a WHORE?"

Harry leaned back, arms crossed across his chest, lips in a thin line, "Well, if the shoe fits Hermione…" he trailed off. With a shriek of outrage, she swished her wand and the heavy paperweight on the edge of his desk went flying for his head. Harry ducked his head at the last moment and gasped in shock.

"You stupid, self-centered, arrogant prat! I have been working my arse off for you and St. Mungo's and the stupid Ministry for the past 5 years because NO ONE ELSE HAS THE BRAINS TO DO WHAT I DO! I barely get any sleep! I haven't had sex in 3 years because every time I get close SOMEONE FLOOS INTO MY FLAT! And NOW you're going to taunt me? And call me a whore? DON'T YOU KNOW NOT TO PISS OFF THE PERSON WHO KNOWS THE INCURABLE CURSES?!" her hair flew up around her head and the energy in the room crackled, snapping with her palpable anger. Lights on the wall flickered, drawing Harry's gaze. He turned his head back slowly, regarding her with that insufferably calm demeanor that all Aurors seemed to be blessed with before blowing a soft whistle out between his lips.

"Three years Hermione?" he responded. Hermione groaned and blew out an angry huff of air, deflating with perpetual frustration.

"Oh for the love of Merlin…Is that ALL you just heard?"

"No. But that's what I choose to comment on" She turned a glowering eye on him.

"Arse"

"Whore"

"You're not earning any points you know"

He snorted, "Given that I just walked in on you and Lucius Malfoy snogging, I think I can handle that"

Hermione groaned and scrubbed her face with her hands, "You KNOW I'm not going to discuss this with you"

"You need to be careful Hermione" he responded, a cautious tone to his voice. She looked at him sharply.

"What do you know?" Harry ran his hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd never really been able to give up.

"We've lost a few leads" he responded a bit evasively, "Specifically we've lost Dolohov and Selwyn. The Ministry wants to start looking into pureblood families as possible suspects. They're especially focused on the Malfoys" was the short response. Hermione sucked in a sharp breath.

"That's ridiculous! I was with them on the nights of the murders!" she snapped back. Harry sighed heavily.

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. Do you know where Lucius was specifically the night Yaxley was murdered?"

Hermione shook her head, "No. I spent that night at my flat. I'd imagine he was at the Manor"

"And what of the first muggle?" he asked softly. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"He was at the Manor of course. That was Draco's engagement party, you know that"

"Can you account for his whereabouts the whole evening?"

"No…I mean, not exactly, no. I know he was there though"

"But you don't know that for certain" Frowning deeply, she shook her head.

"Where are you going with this Harry?"

"What about tonight Hermione?" he persisted. She gave him a flat glare.

"You KNOW where Lucius was" she snapped back. He held his hands up in front of him.

"But was he there ALL evening?" he asked. She shook her head.

"He arrived just a little before you did. Why are you asking this?" she dug back.

"Marcus Flint had been dead for several hours before we got the call from the hotel. If I can account for Lucius' whereabouts I can take him off the list. But truthfully, given his past and his lack of alibi…." He let the statement trail off and shrugged. There was no need to finish it and the implication of what he was saying hung in the air.

"Lucius would never…" she started only to be cut off by Harry's hand lifting to stall her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I know you believe he's innocent but given the nature of your … relationship …it's hard to take your character evaluation as valid testimony" She huffed again.

"So you think Lucius is the killer"

"No, not necessarily. But you're the one who said if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…"

"LUCIUS IS NOT A DUCK!" she shouted back at him, and narrowed her eyes immediately at the amused twitch of his mouth.

"Perhaps not. But until proven otherwise we have to treat him like a duck"

"Oh that's rich Harry. Even you know you can't prove a negative" she snapped, stepping forward and abruptly apparating from his office.

* * *

The halls of the Manor were quieter than usual. She supposed Draco was out with Amelia, which would leave only Lucius and the house elves in residence for the evening. Shaking her head to clear it of her conversation with Harry, she hustled down the plush hall towards his personal quarters. She'd only been in his suite a handful of times, but knew it was the one place he'd likely be hiding that evening.

She rapped sharply on his door and called out his name to announce her arrival before turning the knob. After the argument she'd had she needed to reassure herself that Lucius was who she thought he was, and had the intentions in mind she thought he did.

"Lucius?" she called out again as she entered his personal sitting room. A noise from across the room caught her attention and she turned abruptly to see the elder Malfoy.

"Miss Granger?" he asked, standing from the chair he'd been in only moments before. She paused, scrutinizing him.

"Where are you going?" she questioned, eyes trained on his black shirt and pants. He seemed unable to answer for a moment, as he resumed pulling on the black leather gloves he'd had in hand when she walked in.

"Out" was the terse response.

"Out where, Lucius?" her voice was quiet, but commanding. He pinned her with a dark look.

"To gather information, Hermione" he replied in the same tone. She frowned sharply.

"From Death Eaters?" she pushed. His countenance froze a little, and the sneer she hadn't seen grace his face towards her in years settle upon his lips.

"No. Believe it or not Miss Granger, not all despots and cretins are Death Eaters. In fact, there are far worse creatures out there to be afraid of" he answered condescendingly. She recoiled as if she'd been slapped.

"I never thought there weren't, Mister Malfoy. I deal with those kinds every day, or don't you remember what my job is?" she snapped. He looked shocked at her abrupt reversion to using his family name, but it only caused his scowl to deepen.

"Well then I won't have to explain to you why you can't come along, will I?" he bit back as he settled a dark cloak around his shoulders. She felt tears begin to gather at the edges of her eyes. First Harry, now Lucius. She felt her world start to tip a little.

"I wasn't going to ask to come along. In fact, I only came here to warn you that the Ministry has added you to their suspect list" she responded tartly, "But perhaps their assumptions aren't so off base"

She knew it was cruel to add that last jab, but she couldn't seem to help herself. She'd come hoping to talk to him, hoping to get some comfort from the one man she'd come to count on, and instead found a stone wall that was insistent on shutting her out.

He regarded her quietly for a moment and then answered, just as quietly, "Perhaps they aren't" Without a further look he flipped his hood up and grabbed a handful of floo powder, shouting "Knockturn Alley" before stepping into the fireplace.

* * *

Hermione felt horrible. Lower than dirt, worse than mud, completely trampled. She could barely hold herself together as she scuffled down the hallway to her flat. Fighting with her closest friend and the closest thing she had to a lover in one night was too much – especially with everything else going on. She was terrified of what had happened, what was going to happen, and what the significance of the runes on her foot was. Her keys jingled as she struggled with the door, and she resisted the urge to kick it out of sheer spite.

"Rough night, kitten?" came a soft, compassionate voice from her right. The tears began to gather in earnest now as she turned to face her neighbor and nodded. He made a soft, sympathetic sound and opened her arms. Without thought she took the three steps that separated them and wrapped her arms around his waist, allowing herself to cry for the first time that night. He gently stroked her back and head as he murmured soft words of consolation and comfort into her ear.

"Come on love, let's get a cuppa" he coaxed and she nodded against his chest, allowing him to lead her into his flat. It was the same layout as her own flat, though reversed, and she always loved his eclectic set up. The whole apartment was warm and inviting and smelled of green tea and sandlewood, a smell that she solely identified with Dwenn. He guided her into the kitchen and sat her at the small table there as he poured them both a mug of steaming tea.

"Care to talk about it?" he prodded gently. She looked over at his concerned face and suddenly found herself pouring out her heart to him. He had always been there for her, as she had been for him, and for some reason when the words wouldn't come with anyone else they would come with him. She told him of the murders, the kiss with Lucius, the fight with Harry, the fight with Lucius, her fears – everything except for the runes. Cleansed, she took a breath and smiled shakily at him.

"Well, kitten, it seems you're in quite the scandal" he responded. She raised an eyebrow.

"Scandal?" she asked. He nodded thoughtfully.

"You're working perhaps the most important case since the fall of you – know – who and you're romantically involved with its lead suspect. I'd say that sounds rather scandalous to me, don't you think?" he replied, taking a sip of his tea. She rolled her eyes.

"I suppose. Do you think I should leave the case?" she questioned. He gave her a half smile.

"I don't think I can make that decision for you love, but I do think Harry presents a valid point. How objective can you be if you're bent on proving Lucius is innocent?"

She groaned and lowered her forehead to the table, "God, life was so much easier when we were 11 years old. Good was good and bad was bad"

"Yes, but you weren't able to get a good shag back then now were you?" he responded, a grin in his voice. She turned to look at him just as he added, "Or maybe some things never really change"

"DWENN!" she exclaimed sitting up again and he laughed at her as she swatted his arm.

"OK, so maybe it's ME that needs a good shag" he answered, giving her a look that could only be described as puppy dog eyes.

"Maybe we need to stop this conversation before we do something we'll regret" she replied a little quieter. He regarded her under hooded eyes for a moment.

"I would never regret it love. But I respect your decision" he said, his right hand covering hers on the table, thumb stroking her skin softly. She shivered a little at his touch, and she met his eyes.

"I think I should be going" she responded. Dwenn held her hand a moment longer and then nodded, standing to escort her out.

"As you wish, kitten" As they approached his door he gently grasped her arm once more and tugged her a little closer. Leaning down he pressed his mouth to hers briefly, licking his lips after they parted, "Just one for good luck" he said with a smile. She returned the smile hesitantly and then stepped into the hall slightly dazed.

She heard the door click closed behind her, but the good feeling that surrounded their visit lingered. She smiled a little as she entered her apartment feeling more optimistic about life in general. It wasn't until she noticed the paper on her living room table that the world came crashing back down around her. On the front page of the Daily Prophet was a picture of Marcus Flint's body and the headline "THE SERIAL KILLER THE MINISTRY'S KEPT SECRET".


	8. Chapter 8

_"Doctor Granger, I think you need to see this"_

 _It was the first time she'd seen the runes. One of the attending medi-nurses has discovered them while sponge bathing Narcissa and immediately contacted the head Medi-witch. Hermione was fairly certain the memory would be emblazoned in her head forever, and not because of the impact they'd had on her career._

 _It was the image of Narcissa she couldn't escape. Skeletal from not eating, withered and frail she'd looked like a pale husk huddled in the middle of the bed, muttering unintelligible sentences. The two runes glowed vibrantly on the back of her left shoulder, and were electric to the touch. Hermione was aghast at the discovery, and horrified at the degeneration of her patient within two weeks time. Suddenly all her efforts in the library, all her time trying spell after counter spell seemed paltry and inconsequential. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough._

 _She stumbled through the floo into the Malfoy manor library, turning to retch into the ashes. Nothing but bile and acid came up, burning her esophagus as overwhelming despair settled on her shoulders. She had been entrusted with this woman's life and had failed._

 _"I take it you saw Narcissa today" came the dry voice from behind her. She didn't bother to stand from her position leaning over the fireplace, hand braced on the stone mantle as she continued to fight the nausea. A sob squeezed out from her lungs and her hair dropped to obscure her face from view._

 _She heard him stand and approach her, "As much as I would love to attend your pity party, Miss Granger, I'd rather find out what's going on with my wife"_

 _His voice and step were a bit unsteady, and she lolled her head to the side to view him through gaps in the curtain of her hair. He was holding a tumbler half filled with firewhiskey, and from his appearance she guessed he'd been at it for a while. His tie was slightly askew, top buttons of his shirt undone and the bottom untucked from his slacks. As her view travelled downwards she noted he had lost both his shoes and his socks somewhere, and was currently standing before her barefoot._

 _"I don't know what else to do" she whispered back, averting her eyes back to the fireplace._

 _"Well that makes me feel a lot better" Came the sneer, and she winced at his words._

 _"I'm sorry Mister Malfoy, I've done everything I can. I just…I don't know where else to look"_

 _"The runes on her. You know what they are?" he asked. She nodded._

 _"They are Thurisaz and Niflheimr. Meant to trap and confuse the victim" she answered, voice small._

 _"Well there's a start. Meant to confuse… that explains a lot" he said, his voice beginning to increase in volume and excitement. She shook her head._

 _"No. Not that way. They're meant to mark her, not to physically confuse her. The runes simply hold her captive to the spell" He came next to her, mimicking her position with one hand on the ledge above them._

 _"Well if not what, then do you know WHO?" he demanded. She tilted her head sideways to look at him and sighed._

 _"It's not my field, but I have a few suspicions" she sucked in a breath, "Who were the Sons of Seth?"_

 _His eyes widened sharply, "Did Narcissa tell you of them?"_

 _She nodded hesitantly, "During one of our conversations. As she mentioned the name she became disoriented"_

 _Lucius nodded and drew himself up to his full height, downing the last of his firewhiskey. Hermione watched the amber liquid as it disappeared into his mouth, slightly jealous that he had the benefit of alcohol on board._

 _"We were all required to kill in the service of the Dark Lord. You were not true to the cause if you didn't dispose of at least one muggle. But there were a few within the ranks who truly reveled in the bloodshed. They loved the hunt, loved to kill and were creative enough about it to elevate themselves to the highest forms of depravity"_

 _He swallowed harshly, seeming unable to find the words to continue, "We were not allowed to know who were the most celebrated of those executioners. While most of us killed to survive, those who loved it were given special status and sent on missions that required the most vile deeds"_

 _Hermione chewed her bottom lip, "In current theology the Sons of Seth are purported to be fallen angels"_

 _Lucius nodded, "Voldemort referred to his executioners as such, and went so far as to name two in particular. Af is the angel of death. Kakabel had lust for women. On his most celebrated assassins he bestowed those names" He let out a ragged breath and ran a hand through his hair, "Unfortunately, I have no idea who those two were. We are certain that Greyback was in the upper ranks, as was Rosier and the LeStrange brothers. Beyond that… " he left off with a shrug._

 _Hermione drummed her fingers on the mantle, "It makes no sense though. If they were sent to kill her the job should be done"_

 _"They weren't after Narcissa. They were after Draco and I" came the quiet reply. Hermione shook her head._

 _"They weren't going for death then. They were going for prolonged torture. So the Sons of Seth would be ruled out, right?"_

 _"They were excited by their job, Miss Granger. They did it for the sport of designing new ways to torment victims"_

 _"But that means the spell we're looking for isn't likely a fatal one. If they loved to kill their victims themselves, then it's unlikely they would take pleasure in allowing a spell to finish the job for them"_

 _Lucius nodded his head, conceding the point, "Likely. But there are still hundreds of spells that fall within that realm"_

 _Hermione shook her head, "No, there aren't. Most spells designed to torture are terminal spells. The magic itself is meant to kill the victim, not the caster. In this case we want to look at prolonged curses, not death knells"_

 _Head suddenly buzzing with ideas she stood up sharply and looked over at the shelves, "There was a book I was reading…" she murmured. Her feet propelled her towards the tomes and her fingers flitted across the spines. Crowing triumphantly she lifted a dark green volume from its spot on the shelf, "I was reading this one the other night and thought something was odd. The spells are designed for long term usage – the course of weeks or months. There was one spell that spoke of long term memory modification such as in the cases of trauma. I don't know why I didn't think…" her voice trailed off. She felt Lucius come up behind her and lean over her shoulder to try and read the text._

 _"Germanic text, memory modification, relies on runic implementation…" he murmured, listing off traits to the spell. She jumped slightly as she felt a warm hand squeeze her upper arm, "Nice job Miss Granger"_

 _She flushed brightly, "I still have to figure out the counter-curse"_

 _"But now we have a real place to start"_

When everything else in Hermione's life failed her, books were her refuge, her home, her safety net. Today was no different. She strummed her fingers idly on the tabletop as she perused the pages slowly, thoroughly, one by one. It was not so much that she didn't know the information contained in them, it was that she didn't want to leave them and return to the real world. The real world where her best friend yelled at her, the man she counted on for everything walked that thin line between good and evil a little too close to evil, and she herself was branded as a calf for slaughter. No, she was quite content being lost in her books today.

The runes in the book danced across her eyes, glinting at old memories. Specifics of cases long past – Flint's mother catching incurable consumption, Nott's father developing an uncontrollable bleeding disorder… The list went on. They were horrifying curses that mimicked muggle diseases. She'd developed counters to the curses, but nothing that cured the symptoms forever. Mischief managed, not reversed as she like to remind herself frequently. And then there were the Sons of Seth. The thought came to her suddenly, unbidden, like a riddle she'd known the answer to at one time but couldn't place her finger on. She turned the phrase over in her head, tried to place a name and a time to it but none came.

It wasn't until the sunlight glanced off white blonde hair that she realized there was someone else in the flat with her. Pressing one hand against her heart, she willed the other to lower the wand it had snatched and consciously forced the curse off her lips.

"Merlin, Draco! You scared the bloody hell out of me!" she swore at her visitor. His trademark smirk crept up across his lips and he dropped himself into the chair across from her.

"Just doing my job" he announced, leaning back and folding his hands behind his head even as he stretched out his long legs and crossed them at the ankles. He was as tall as his father, but leaner, taking after his mother's lithe form. He shared the traditional Malfoy coloring – pale skin, grey eyes, white blonde hair – but his features were sharper than Lucius' and he kept his hair trimmed short. Handsome in his own right, yet distinct from his father. She scoffed at him, primly crossing her own legs and tucking an errant curl back behind her ear.

"Don't tell me…Lucius sent you to be my watch dog? Or Harry?" she asked sullenly, eyes glaring daggers at him. He moved his hands, holding them up in mock surrender before his chest.

"Neither, actually. My father was a little difficult to deal with today, which I took to mean you two had a row. I decided to see how you were doing. Obviously, you're in about the same state he is" Hermione winced. Whenever Draco referred to Lucius as "his father" it meant the elder Malfoy had resorted to some of his war time idiosyncrasies –most commonly being taciturn and stubborn. It happened less frequently now that there were so many years behind them, but with current events she couldn't say she was necessarily surprised.

"I had a row with Harry last night. It led to a row with your father" she confessed, eyes dropping from his.

"I see" There was a moment of silence, "Care to tell me what it was about?"

She sighed, "The ministry suspects your father is involved in the murders" She raised a hand to stave off his protestation, "I don't believe he is, but because I am so close to your family they won't take my word as character assessment. Last night I came to tell Lucius about it only to find him sneaking off to go 'gather information' I believe is how he put it. Things…disintegrated from there. I implied perhaps the ministry wasn't so far off in its assumptions"

Draco gaped at her, "Merlin. No wonder he's in such a mood. Hermione, my father wasn't placed as a high level Death Eater because he hugged bunnies and cuddled kittens"

She winced a little, "I know. I was angry. I shouldn't have said what I did, but I'd just gotten done having the fight with Harry and I was so worried about him…"

"So to tell him as much you essentially called him a murderer to his face. Excellent plan Granger, glad to know your Gryffindor cunning is still up to snuff" he replied dryly. She glared at him. He shrugged, "Well whatever the hell you said, you need to apologize. I'm not going to live with the man in this state for any length of time. Kiss, shag, whatever you need to do – just fix it"

She gaped at him, "Draco! That's your FATHER you're talking about!" He made a face

"Really? I thought it was my second uncle. Honestly, for the supposed brightest witch of our age you certainly can be dense" he snarked back. She scowled at him again.

"Draco, while we have a very close relationship I am not sure Lucius sees me in that light"

"Oh believe me, he does" She raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed, "A blind man could see how my father feels about you"

She ducked her eyes bashfully again, re tucking the hair behind her ear. It seemed to slip out at the most opportune moments and this conversation was striking a bit close to the heart of the matter. "Lucius was in love with Narcissa – " she started. Draco's bark of laughter startled her into looking back at him.

"Mum? And dad?" he snorted, "Hardly! Theirs was an arranged marriage Granger. They grew very fond of each other, but don't you ever wonder why I had no siblings? Mum did her duty and bore an heir. Contrary to popular belief there were no miscarriages, no lost little ones. There was only me"

"But when she got ill…" she began again. Draco shook his head.

"Guilt, Granger. My dad and mum WERE married for nearly 19 years. They'd had to work together to raise me and keep us together and safe in a volatile world. They became close friends, perhaps even loved each other on that level. But actually being IN LOVE?" he snorted again and rolled his eyes. Hermione felt her chest get tight, and she breathed a little shallower. She'd believed for so long that he'd shunned her because of his great love for his ex-wife. But if that wasn't the case… She dropped the leg that had been crossed to the ground. Draco's eyes followed it, and then widened when her bare foot landed on the flood.

"BLOODY HELL GRANGER!" he swore, leaning forward. She jumped in her seat, following his gaze, cursing inwardly as she realized she hadn't covered the runes.

"Draco" she said. He grabbed her leg and pulled it into his lap, jabbing his finger at the top of her foot.

"WHEN did you get this?" he demanded. She swallowed guiltily, jerking her leg back.

"A few days ago" she responded quietly. Swearing loudly again, he stood swiftly, grabbing her arm and yanking her out of her seat, "DRACO! What are you doing?" she demanded as he dragged her into the other room. The Malfoy heir didn't answer her however, and chose instead to mutter foul, only partially intelligible words under his breath as he marched over to the fireplace. Grabbing a handful of powder he hollered "Harry Potter's office" before hauling them both through.

"Malfoy?" came the surprised voice as they straightened up on the other side of the grate. Hermione spluttered at the ash, and cursed as her head hit the grate above them. Yanking her arm out of Draco's hand she pushed him into the middle of the room, "Hermione?"

Harry looked confused, which was very unusual for him. He had taken on several traits of his former mentor, Albus Dumbledore, which included the insufferable ability to look unsurprised at any announcement or action by his friends. Hermione was never sure if it was an act or if he really did have his fingers in that many pots, but she did find herself avoiding telling him any news most days on the assumption that he already knew it.

"Potter, did you know about this?" Draco demanded, reaching behind him to grab her again. With an undignified squeak she felt herself yanked and shoved in front of her best friend. Rolling her eyes she leveled a glare at Draco, heart pounding in her chest.

"Honestly, Malfoy, it's nothing!" she protested. His mouth gaped.

"NOTHING?!" he bellowed, "Nothing? How could you? After everything…?" Sputtering did not become the blonde haired man, and neither did the outraged expression that captured his features. He turned sharply on one heel and threw a handful of powder into the fireplace, shouting "MALFOY MANOR"

Hermione felt her heart sink as he called out his father's name. Turning frantically to Harry she raised her hands, "Look, it's no big deal Harry"

"What is no big deal Hermione?" he demanded, arms crossed across his chest. Draco swore behind her and snapped.

"Look down Potter" She winced as his eyes drifted down to her foot, and he pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, taking in a sharp breath.

"What in the sodding hell is going on?" came the rich, baritone voice of the older Malfoy from behind her. Hermione groaned and placed a hand over her eyes.

"When did you get this Hermione?" Harry's voice was cool, calm, belying no panic.

"Get what?" demanded Lucius, and she could feel him shove past his son to get a clear look at whatever had the room so stirred up. Her voice was small as she answered.

"A few days ago"

"Care to quantify that 'few days' Miss Granger?" drawled Lucius, his face even paler than usual.

"The night of the first woman we found" she muttered, feeling like a child being scolded by her parents. If it was possible, Lucius' face got even whiter and he stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders.

"Why didn't you say something?" he snarled, his face close to hers. Surprised, his actions snapped her out of her reverie and she braced her hands on his chest.

"Because I couldn't! I tried, but I couldn't get the words out!" she shouted back. Lucius' eyes widened as he stared at her, and his face crumbled as he considered what they meant. Without a word, he let go of her shoulders and folded his arms around her, drawing her to his chest.

"You stupid girl. You could have showed us. Showed me!" he said into her hair, his embrace tight and unyielding. She turned her cheek to the side, burying her face in his shirt.

"I was scared" she whispered. Harry cleared his throat from behind them.

"Hermione, this is serious" he started. She rolled her eyes, knowing he couldn't see it from where he was.

"I know Harry"

"This means you could be next" he continued.

"I know Harry"

"You're in a lot of danger, Hermione and I don't think you're giving it the consideration it deserves…"

"I KNOW Harry! Merlin, don't you think I've been worrying about this every day since it showed up? Don't you think I've read everything I could? Tried to figure out who or what or how?" she demanded, pushing out of Lucius' embrace.

"You're staying with me now Hermione. No arguments" came the older Malfoy's command. She huffed.

"Honestly, this is partly why I DIDN'T want to tell you. Now you're all going to treat me like a china doll, like I can't –"

She was interrupted by a ministry official rushing into the room, "Draco Malfoy?" His eyes landed on the younger man who was trying to pace in the now cramped office. Draco's eyes shot over to him.

"Yes?"

"Sir, you need to come with me. There's been…an incident. You're requested at St. Mungo's at once"


	9. Chapter 9

_The mood was somber in the office and the three occupants regarded each other with barely controlled mistrust. Hermione stood in front of the desk, leaning against it with her ankles crossed and arms braced, watching Draco and Lucius closely. She couldn't keep the small well of despair from swirling around the pit of her stomach. She had tried, she just hoped it would be enough._

 _Draco looked ill. His face was paler than usual, expression drawn and twisted as if he couldn't imagine the consequences. Lucius on the other hand was unreadable. His face was masked with indifference and a sneer, directed at her of course, but she was fairly certain he was feeling more self-guilt than directed blame for the situation._

 _Draco was the first to speak, "So that's it then?" he asked, his voice cracking a little. Hermione hung her head before meeting his eyes._

 _"It is. With the curse progressing as quickly as it did, and the limited material available… This is all I can offer you" she murmured, apology in her voice even though she didn't say it._

 _"And if she had been brought in sooner?" asked Lucius from the other chair. She drifted her gaze over to him._

 _"There may have been different options. We might have been able to do more. But all of it hinged on the texts in your library, and who knows if we would have thought to consult them before she ended up at the stage she was at when you brought her in" Hermione pushed her hair backwards, knowing it further disheveled her already ruffled appearance, "Truth be told sir, this is a situation we've never – I'VE never encountered before. The disease that her curse mimics takes years to completely debilitate its victims, and without knowing WHAT exactly we were facing it was near impossible to bring up a time frame to work within"_

 _The elder Malfoy nodded, perhaps not placated by the answer but accepting of it. She knew many of the same self doubts and crucifixions were playing out in his own head. If only they had have recognized the symptoms sooner. If only they had have brought her in sooner. If only…If only. She played the same game in her own mind, finding it hard to swallow that there was nothing more that she could have done. Her Gryffindor side reared up to display its inability to accept defeat – there is ALWAYS something more that can be done._

 _"When" started Draco, pausing to lick his lips, "When will it be done?"_

 _Hermione caught his eyes and held them, "As soon as you are ready. But I have to caution you, the damage the curse has done is irreversible and is taking its toll quickly. There is not much time left. You will not prolong the inevitable by allowing her to remain in this state"_

 _"How much time, Miss Granger?" She turned back to Lucius, unable to avoid his gaze._

 _"Days. Two, maybe three at the most according to the healers. Her organs are failing, her liver and kidneys are too far gone for recovery. I fear the reversal of the curse will cause more strain on her than her current catatonia but she will be Narcissa again and you will be able to make your peace" she said softly. He swallowed hard, his grey eyes glistening a little too sharply in the light._

 _"Would it not be better to allow her to meet her death without her knowledge?" he asked. Hermione shrugged, her face belying her confliction._

 _"That's your decision to make. The ethics of this situation have been plaguing me as well, which is why I place the final decision in your hands. It is true if we enact the counter curse Narcissa will awaken from her current state of confusion only to be facing her death. But if we allow her to pass on in this state her soul may be confused and remain as a ghost, unable to pass on because she thinks she's still alive. And, as I said, there is something to be said for closure for those who remain behind" Her cheeks glowed a little at the last statement, eyes resting warmly on the two men in her borrowed office. She'd chosen to speak to them in a formal setting instead of her labs to lend credence and privacy to the situation. Truth be told, she'd started to become fond of both the Malfoy men and wished to offer comfort in any way that she could._

 _"Very well" came Lucius' controlled drawl, "Can we do it now?"_

 _"Now?!" came Draco's surprised exclamation. Lucius turned and pinned his son with a heavy glare._

 _"Yes, now. If we only have days left with your mother I'd prefer them to be ones we can enjoy, not regret later" came the acerbic retort. Draco merely hung his head in response, surreptitiously wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. Hermione reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder._

 _"Let me get a few items, and I'll meet you at her rooms"_

* * *

The room fell unnaturally silent for a moment, as four pairs of eyes fell on the fidgeting official. He anxiously shifted his weight from foot to foot, twisting his robes in his hands. It was quite one thing to have to find THE Draco Malfoy and deliver an… unwelcome message. It was quite another to find himself face to face with a room full of the most recognizable faces from the last war.

"An incident?" broke Draco's voice, slightly deeper than a squeak. The curly haired witch – Hermione Granger the man reminded himself – pinned Draco with a look and then turned her far too calculating eyes on him.

"What sort of incident?" she demanded, stepping away from the elder Malfoy, who couldn't seem to keep his own eyes off of her. The official cleared his throat and bobbed his head uncertainly.

"It's a private matter miss, I don't have liberty to…" he started and broke off uneasily as she made an impatient noise and tossed her head.

"Oh, we're all basically family here" she retorted a bit sharply. Draco made a noise of protest and muttered.

"Except the Potthead" Hermione pinned her glare on him again and he recoiled a bit.

"Very mature Draco"

"I'm sorry, but it's a matter of his fiancée…" the official started again, interrupting them and Draco let out a strangled sound before turning to grab a handful of floo powder.

"St. Mungo's!" he shouted as he stepped through. Hermione stepped towards the fireplace before turning back to the other two men, a soft pleading expression on her face as she looked back at Lucius.

"Someone should go…" she said softly. He waved a hand at her.

"Mister Potter and I need to speak anyhow" he said softly. She smiled, softly, anxiously, bobbed her head and then followed through the floo.

Green eyes pinioned the official still standing in the office and he swallowed hard. Trying to reach for the door without turning away, he muttered, "I'll just be…" and fled.

As the door closed, Lucius turned to regard the remaining man in the room. A cool green gaze met his own icy grey, and the two simply stared at each other for a moment. Finally Harry cleared his throat.

"I believe I have information that may be valuable to your investigation" Lucius began, his tone light and confident. Harry gestured towards the chair in front of his desk. The two men sat, and Harry tipped his head once more, encouraging him to go on.

"I've been doing some information gathering and picked up some interesting tidbits as of late"

"I'm not sure how much I can - or want - to trust your information" came Harry's response, his face impassive and direct. Lucius raised an eyebrow, his own demeanor just as stony.

"Yes. Miss Granger did tell me of your implications in my regard. Completely unfounded of course, but interesting none-the-less"

"You understand my concerns in her regards" was the reply. Lucius tipped his head.

"I do. And I would hope you understand my concerns run along the same vein"

"It's hard to believe a man of your status and background would feel much of anything for Hermione"

Lucius gave a dark chuckle, "Is this where I promise my intentions are honorable, Mr. Potter?"

"It wouldn't hurt" came the frank reply. A tiny smirk quirked the corner of Lucius' mouth.

"And what would prevent me from lying to you at this juncture? Or, perhaps more to the point, why would you believe anything I have to say?"

"Because Hermione trusts you and despite my dislike of all things Malfoy I've never known her to show poor judgment in regards to people"

"Well put, Mister Potter. That can go both ways. I've never quite understood her interest or friendship with you, but I will agree that she shows excellent perception and judgment when it comes to others" Lucius clasped his hands together and draped them over one elegantly crossed knee. "I have every intention of keeping Miss Granger safe and protected. She is what has held my family together, and as such I see her as family. She will not come to harm under my watch"

Harry nodded succinctly, "That is what I had hoped to hear. And if she does come to harm, know that I will hold you personally responsible" Shaking his head, he rapidly switched subjects, "Now for this information you say you have"

* * *

Hermione flopped face down on the couch in her flat, tired and on edge. She hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep since the first woman had been found, dreams taunting her with lost conversations she'd had with Narcissa and the visages of men she didn't recognize. She rubbed her face wearily, before itching her foot again. The rune tingled unpleasantly frequently, and she was growing tired of its presence. After their conversation in Harry's office, she was more convinced than ever that she HAD to find a way to end all this insanity before it consumed them all.

Thankfully, Amelia had only been involved in an unrelated incident. Someone at WWW joke shop had set off an exploding trap that blew purple ink at anyone who tried to cross it. Unfortunately, due to its placement its highly contained energy had blown the contents of a nearby table across the room, hurling glass shrapnel at other customers. Amelia had merely suffered a few scrapes and bruises, but they wanted her to stay the night at St. Mungo's for observation just in case.

A knock at the front door made Hermione jump and she grumbled as she stood again. Cautiously, she glanced through the peephole before opening the door.

Dwenn was leaning casually against the frame, smile on his lips and package in his hand, "Hello there love"

She flushed a little, remembering their last encounter, a small tugging at her own mouth, "Hello yourself. To what do I owe the honor?"

"Well I wish I could say it was a social call, but my brother is waiting for me at my flat. Someone dropped this by earlier outside your door and I grabbed it so it didn't disappear before you got home" he held out the small package. She smiled more fully at his thoughtfulness as she took it. When she had originally moved to her flat she'd had several packages delivered by muggle post mysteriously disappear in the mail. Eventually, as she'd developed a friendship with Dwenn she'd found out that the other occupants of their building leaned towards the clepto side of life and would run off with anything in the halls that wasn't bolted down. Since then, they had played interceptor for each other, taking in anything that was delivered to the other's doorstep if they arrived home first.

"Thank you" she replied, "Though I'm not sure who would be sending me anything"

"Let me know if it's anything good" he answered with a wink, before turning to enter his own flat. She chuckled softly.

"Of course. And give Jarvis my love!" she responded, waving her hand as she walked back into her own flat. Frowning at the package, she turned it over. There was her name and address of course, but no return address or identifying marks. A frission of fear slipped down her spine before she shook her head. Her parents often sent her packages with no name on them. Why would she think this was any different?

Even so, she chose to go with her instinct. Picking up her wand, she placed the package on the coffee table and stepped across the room, lifting her wand. There were no wards present on the package, so it was a simple slicing spell to remove the paper and open the package. She paused, tense, waiting. Nothing. She sighed a little and snickered at herself. Completely moronic.

Confidently she approached the box and peered inside. There was something on the bottom; long, stiff and…fuzzy? Her stomach clenched as shaky hands reached in and grabbed the object. She couldn't control the shriek that escaped her as she lifted the bloody stump of Lennon's tail into the light.


	10. Chapter 10

Lucius dropped both his feet on the floor, his jaw becoming hard as he addressed Harry.

"There's more to this whole mess than I'd imagine your Aurors would be able to uncover"

Harry's face remained impassive, though a mild flicker of annoyance passed across his eyes. He shrugged, choosing not to take the bait.

Lucius smirked slightly at the lack of response, "It's not just one man we're looking for, it's two. They're living somewhere in muggle London, though my sources are unsure of where exactly"

"What or, perhaps, who are your sources?" questioned Harry. Lucius looked down at one carefully manicured finger, pretending to pick something out from under it.

"Honestly, Mr. Potter, as if I would answer that. You have a knack for settling on the irrelevant. Amazing they appointed you head Auror"

"I'd put it right on the same level as you getting clemency from Azkaban. And your sources might be more important than you think. The wrong sources could be feeding you false information" came the unrelentingly cool reply.

"This is not a revenge mission, though it is designed to look like one. I assure you, this is meant to fulfill a purpose"

"The purpose of setting you up? And now you're trying to clear your own good name?" Sarcasm settled heavily in the already tense atmosphere.

Lucius' mouth thinned out, a moment away from a growl.

* * *

Hermione stared aghast at the small lump of fur and bone in her hand before she flung it across the room in disgust. Trembling hands covered her mouth as she swallowed harsh sobs, unable to turn away from where it had landed on the floor. McCartney, appearing from the shadows next to the couch mewed plaintively before twining around her legs. She shivered violently as her eyes darted down to her remaining pet – who could be so cruel?

The familiar trill of her mobile pierced the air and she jumped in surprise. Reaching down to her hip, her eyes leapt back to Lennon's tail and fear thrummed heavily across her nerves. Who would be able to recognize her cat? Who could pick him out of all the strays in London and send her his bits?

The phone cut off almost immediately, and she dropped her eyes to it's a face in absent concern. Instead of a phone number displayed there were just three numbers. 753. They flashed placidly on the screen as she tried to redirect her thoughts, tried to remember the significance of them. Flipping open the screen she scrolled through her phonebook trying to place where she'd gotten the message. As the number of the caller came up she gasped. St. Mungo's. 753… Amelia's room. Without further thought she disapparated.

* * *

"This is getting us nowhere. This pointless bickering does nothing to solve the problem" came the gritted reply. Harry shrugged, but nodded his head.

"And do you know who these men are?" he asked brusquely.

"According to my sources, it is likely the Lestrange Brothers" Lucuis' response was calm, collected, with no pause. Harry however sucked in a sharp breath of air, his posture becoming rigid in his chair.

"Are you sure?"

"As I have not seen them in person, no. I am not. But I trust my sources' desire to remain wealthy, and therefore trust their information is true"

"Bloody hell. There had been rumors over the last few months, but nothing…" Harry slumped into his chair.

"As I recall, they were named amongst the dead in the post war round up frenzy"

"They were believed dead. They were in a building that collapsed during a botched retrieval. We lost 4 of our own, though due to the nature of the collapse no significant remains of any body were ever found"

"The Lestrange brothers were crafty and always had an exit route. They were brilliant criminals and murderers. Some of the most…creative..curses were developed by them for torture and death. They were the consummate soldiers in Voldemort's army, and his most lethal assassins"

* * *

The scene in front of room 753 was reminiscent of wartime medics. Mediwitches and wizards streamed in and out in droves, bustling back and forth to gather more instruments and vials. Hermione blanched as she saw one candy striper carrying a blood soaked pile of sheets that marked her route with droplets on the floor, her own face pale and constricted. Hermione swallowed hard. This was not good.

The low moans that rolled through the hallway shifted suddenly to high pitched shrieks, pulling her to action. She shoved her way into the room, eyes going immediately to the woman on the bed. Amelia's hospital gown was darkened by blood and sweat, her back arched unnaturally off the mattress, face contorted in agony. Blood gushed from between her legs, immediately staining the fresh blankets and towels below her a mocking crimson. The Medi-wizard at the base of the bed looked haggard, confused and on the verge of giving up, potions and instruments forgotten on the tray next to him.

"Erythro Abscido!" Hermione commanded from the door, her wand drawn and pointed at Amelia. The flow of blood ebbed immediately, slowing to a trickle before stopping. There was a collective gasp throughout the room as all eyes turned upon her. Self conscious, she twisted her wand in her fingers as she approached the bed.

"Hermione" Her eyes cut to the left and met the watery pewter ones of Draco. He was gripping Amelia's hand in his own, fear etched in every line of his face. She felt herself soften a bit, understanding far too well what he was experiencing and reached out to rub his shoulder.

"What happened?" she questioned softly.

"We don't know" responded a strident voice from behind her, and she turned to face the head wizard she had noted on arrival, "Miss Lyles was doing just fine until a few moments ago when she began to bleed vaginally. We have been trying to control it, but until you arrived nothing we had at our disposal was working" Hermione nodded and swallowed nervously.

"How long ago was a few moments ago?" she asked, trying to calculate in her head how long it had taken for her to arrive from her flat.

"Ten, perhaps 15 minutes?" he responded, his brown eyes assessing her, "I don't suppose you have a blood replenishing spell at hand, do you?"

She shook her head absently as she tried to compose a next step, another game plan "No, blood replenishment is a natural process and cannot be simulated by spell. It can only be completed with elements ingested or injected. For Miss Lyles we may want to consider both"

The wizard clucked at her, "Transfusion Dr. Granger? Honestly, such a barbaric practice"

Hermione's eyes cut to Amelia who was now pale, weak and weeping on the bed, her forehead pressed against Draco's hand and felt her heart tear mercilessly at her. She turned her head sharply to pierce the doctor with her gaze as she snapped sharply, "It is not barbaric and one of the fastest methods by which to replenish blood within the body. Perhaps it is not all hocus pocus and tea leaves, but it is significantly faster even than blood replenishing potions"

The wizard opened his mouth as if to argue, but was cut off by a cold

"Enough"

Hermione raised her eyebrows as she turned back to Draco.

"My fiancée is dying. It doesn't take a blind man to see she's lost too much blood. Either you find a way to help her or I remove you both and find someone who will" With a small chill, Hermione noted he sounded eerily like Lucius even as she nodded at him.

The thought was fleeting though as Amelia suddenly gasped on the bed next to Draco. Her eyes in widened in fear, and she wrenched her hand from within Draco's to scrabble helplessly first at her chest and then her throat. Convulsions began to wrack her body once more, even as a deep, hacking cough was torn from deep within her lungs. Frothy blood sprayed past her lips and across the room, spattering those close to the bed, and Hermione felt her heart stop.

"Courtacum Statum!" she ordered, wand flourished, her stomach tying in knots as Amelia continued to cough, pulling up more and more bloody fluid. "Erythro Abscido!" Amelia gasped, the veins at her neck tight and corded, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to pull in air.

Blood began to seep from her nose and ears, joining that which dribbled down her chin from the corners of her mouth. All Hermione's hopes that this had been a miscarriage and not a deliberate attack were gone. She had ebbed the flow from one region of her body, but it had redirected to another. This was meant to cause great pain and death. Her eyes went to Draco just as he looked for her, eyes locking as if they both realized the truth at the same time. She asked the question silently. They both know what would happen.

Draco's whole face dropped way, and he became even paler. He turned to look at Amelia, who was beginning to aspirate her own blood, gagging and choking even as she was forced to continue coughing. Tears pooled at the bottom of his eyes began their trek down to his chin. He knew. Just as he had known years ago with his mother. He looked back at Hermione and nodded, a quick jerking motion. Grabbing Amelia's hand once more he pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her body, comforting her. Hermione swallowed the bile in her own throat. She'd only ever done this once before, but it was all she could offer now.

"Euthano" she whispered, and a soft black smoke slipped from the end of her wand, drifting ethereally across the room to Amelia and into her mouth. Immediately Amelia stopped coughing, her body relaxing against Draco's even as her eyes became clear and she looked up, seeking him.

"I love you, Draco" she murmured into his shoulder as she caught his gaze, and then slumped bonelessly. He convulsed in a sob around her, holding her even tighter as she crossed into the next realm.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hermione paced Dwenn's kitchen restlessly, book in hand as she combed the page for something she herself couldn't quite grasp. The last three days had been torturous at best – long and desperate with an urgency no one could quite put their fingers on. The Malfoy men had spent most of them in the hospital, taking brief breaks only for food and bodily relief. It had been only hours ago that she had watched first Draco and then Lucius emerge from Narcissa's room, indicating her end had finally arrived._

 _The gleaming light in both their lives had flickered out….and somehow it made the intangible tension in the hospital, in her guilt, in all of their psyches that much worse._

 _Her eyes skimmed the pages combing the information with brutal efficiency. Somehow she knew the answers were here, right here just barely eluding her. Like a bar of soap, the resolution she was seeking slipped through her fingers time and time again. Dwenn watched her with barely concealed amusement, his tea cup poised right in front of his perfectly formed lips._

 _"What exactly is it you're looking for kitten?" he asked._

 _"There's HAS to be a link. Something that will tell me who did this" His response was a muted hum._

 _She skimmed the page again. The same page, there was something there…her mind knew it but couldn't settle on it. She muttered a small curse and reviewed it again, wiling herself to focus on each name, each face, each bit of information._

 _The book was one on pedigrees. Wizarding human pedigrees to be exact and she was currently pursuing those intimately involved with the Dark Lord. Something in the back of her head kept telling her that the answer to all the questions was contained within these pages and she was hell bent on proving herself right. Her finger slipped from one name to the next, one face to the next. Sucking in a deep breath she tried to clear the thoughts jumbling through her head. She knew that whomever had killed Narcissa was in the Dark Lord's army. And he would have been close to Voldemort, but NOT a Malfoy or immediate relative thereof. That cut out quite a few faces._

 _Absently her eyes landed on a set of names from the late 40s and she sucked in a sharp breath. Setherland Lestrange. A small sub-note below his sneering visage gave over an italicized nickname – Seth. Hermione's eyes flickered down… How had she just noticed this? Rabastan and Rodolphus. It suddenly made sense and that final puzzle piece fell into place. The sons of Seth were so literally and mockingly. It would only figure Voldemort would be so lacking in humorous ingenuity he wouldn't be able to come up with something more clever. Her eyes flickered down to the two sons and she froze, before warm hazel lifted to meet chocolate brown. She gasped out loud as Dwenn met her gaze with a soft smile._

 _"Find what you were looking for kitten?" he asked, his voice low and seductive. She bit her lip and nodded, taking a step back from him. His smile widened, "Oh come now, none of that. We've been friends for a while love, there's no reason to fear me. You just need to forget what you've seen"_

 _Hermione fumbled with the book as she reached for her wand. Dwenn shrugged and flicked his wrist,_

 _intricately twisting his fingers, "As you wish"_

 _She blinked once, and looked down at the open page before her blankly. Dwenn stood from his spot at the table and took the book from her hands, closing it firmly before tucking it back onto a shelf. Her brow wrinkled, "What was I just doing?" she asked, tension seeping from her body. Dwenn shrugged._

 _"I haven't the slightest. You barged in here, demanding some book, and then threw it down in exasperation when you couldn't find what you needed" His tone became concerned as he placed a hand on her head, "Are you feeling alright Hermione?"_

 _She frowned a bit deeper, "I…yes? No? I don't know…" her voice was faraway and confused. Gently he took her hand in his own and tugged her towards the table._

 _"Sit. Have a cuppa and we can talk about it"_

* * *

For several long moments the only sounds in the room were Draco's hollow sobs as he clutched to Amelia's body, and then the room rushed back into activity again. Hermione was only vaguely aware of the dull roar of voices around her, her own blood rushing to her head and that she was suddenly quite faint. She reached a hand out to steady herself even as her knees began to give out, and was astonished to find to arms suddenly under her armpits, supporting her.

"Come, we need to find you a place to sit" She lolled her head sideways clumsily, surprised to see Lucius there. Befuddled, she tried to figure out when he had arrived in the midst of all the chaos. He half walked, half dragged her out the door and plopped her onto a bench in the hall of the hospital, shoving her none too softly against the wall to try and keep her upright. Kneeling down before her he gently ook her face between his hands and forced her to look at him. She whimpered - her head felt heavy and the urge to sleep was starting to take over. "Hermione" he commanded urgently. Her eyes rolled in their sockets as she tried to focus on him, his voice distant and disjointed "Look at me Hermione"

She was absently aware of tipping over sideways, but didn't really care as her body slumped towards the worn vinyl of the seat. She could hear the insistent voices over her head urging her to get up, to open her eyes, to do something, ANYTHING but couldn't bring herself to be bothered enough to do anything.

Vaguely she was aware of her jaws being pried open and a foul liquid being poured down them. She sputtered, coughed and blinked. Two sets of eyes – one silver, one green – anxiously peered back at her.

"Harry?" she asked, her tongue thick in her mouth. He huffed out an irritable breath.

"Bloody Hell Hermione" was her only reply as he leaned forward and gathered her into a bone crushing hug. She squeaked in mild protest, but still lacked the strength to push him away.

"Gentle there Potter. The stupid bint nearly killed herself with that stunt" was the acerbic drawl from Lucius. She knew she should be insulted, but couldn't really muster up the energy to feel as much. Whatever they had given her had restored some of her strength, but vaguely understood she needed to rest to fully regain it.

"Not stupid" she mumbled in weak protest, pushing against Harry. She noted the small smile that flitted across Lucius' lips as he assessed her.

"Mr. Potter I must….attend my son. I trust Hermione is safe in your care?" Harry nodded and pushed his glasses up his nose. Lucius nodded, stroked her hair briefly and returned to the room. Harry replaced Hermione on her seat and squatted down to her level.

"Do you remember anything Mione?" he asked. She nodded mutely, a quiver of nausea twisting in her stomach.

"Do you know who it is yet?" she responded. He nodded as well and expelled a harsh breath.

"I'm fairly certain it's the LeStrange brothers" She knew she should feel fear at the name, but mostly she just felt drained.

"I suppose Lucius wants me at the Manor" she responded absently. Harry ran his hand through his hair, a nervous tick she hadn't seen in a while she realized remotely, and nodded again.

"He would prefer it. I think…I think I would as well. We can post Aurors there, and the Manor can be better warded than your flat or even the Ministry" She wobbled her head in consent and then shoved against the seat to stand up.

"Fair enough I suppose. I just need to get some stuff from my lab" she replied distractedly.

"I need to go with you" She waved her hand at him.

"It's just down the hall Harry, you can watch me walk there. And it's warded so only certain people can enter. Besides, don't you need to do 'Auror stuff' in there?" She limply air quoted the last part, and his lips twitched.

"If you're not back in 5 Mione…" She waved her hand at him again.

"Just send Lucius, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to spank me into submission" she trilled back. Harry's lips witched again and he helped steady her as she took her first step.

"Hermione…." He started warningly. She gave him a tremulous smile back.

"Harry" she mocked back at him as she turned and began to weave her way down the hall.

Once inside her lab she closed the door and leaned against it. There were only a handful of books she needed to continue her research. Two of them were on her desk, the other was at her flat. Luckily her lab had one of the few floos in it – she could leave and return without either Harry or Lucius being any more the wise to her whereabouts. Likely they wouldn't understand WHY she needed this particular book, nor would they allow her to get it so she was just going to have to retrieve it herself.

Grabbing green powder out of the mantle, she closed her eyes as her body swayed towards the fireplace. Willing herself to hold it together she threw the handful in and shouted "Home!"

The floo threw off her already askew balance and she found herself falling at at an alarming rate as she emerged on the other end. Something cracked in her wrist as she hit the ground and she cried out in pain, grabbing the offending appendage against her chest. Maybe this wasn't a such great idea.

Almost immediately she heard someone pounding on the door, "Hermione?"

"Dwenn?" she called back, sniffling, her head still murky. She forced herself to stand and shuffled to the door.

"Let me in Hermione!" he called back urgently and she nodded, unlocking the door with her good hand.

It swung open and Dwenn's urgent face swam before her eyes, "What happened? Are you alright?"

She shook her head and burst into tears again, holding her wrist out towards him. He glanced at it, and then nervously at the fireplace before pulling her towards him, "Shhhh, that's alright love. Let's get you fixed up"

She sniffled and nodded, allowing him to lead her towards the kitchen. Somewhere she thought it was odd that he kept glancing at her fireplace, but couldn't grasp why. All she knew was that the same black that was starting to take over in the hospital was grasping at the edges of her vision again and if she wasn't careful she'd never get back in time to fool Harry.

* * *

Five minutes ticked by in the hallway of St. Mungo's. Then 7…and 9…At eleven minutes Harry knew something was wrong and it was time to involve the elder Malfoy, though he doubted the following exchange would be pleasant. He ran his hand through his hair again and glanced at the door of Amelia's room just in time to see the person in question exit. It seemed he knew as soon as he looked down the hall that something was amiss.

"Where is she?" he growled, eyes flint hard. Harry swallowed.

"She went to her lab to retrieve some materials…." He answered. Lucius bared his teeth in an angry snarl.

"And you LET HER? You stupid fool. She has a floo in her lab and knowing her she's already USED it"

Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. That he didn't know.

Lucius shoved him out of his way ran to the lab, pounding on the door, "Hermione?" he bellowed. When there was no answer he swore and placed his hand over the device next to the door. In moments it blinked to allow him in. Harry regained enough sense to slip in behind Lucius, and the two began to scour the two rooms for her presence.

"She's not here" he said. Lucius graced him with a scathing scowl once more

"Perceptive Mr. Potter. The question is, where is she?" he ground back. Harry shook his head.

"Assuming she really DID want to get resources? Hermione's flat is almost a library in and of itself"

Lucius pursed his lips, "Very well. I will start there. You go to my Manor. Maybe by some miracle she decided to go there instead"

* * *

Hermione whined as Dwenn wrapped her wrist in ice and whispered soft, consoling words. She felt warmer, and her head fuzzier at the same time. She smiled thoughtlessly at him and stood to leave the kitchen. It was time to sleep. She tottered out the door and giggled as the room spun.

Her floo lit up and Lucius stepped out, "Hermione!" he gasped as he saw her. She giggled again and waggled her fingers at him.

"Hi Lucius!" She felt Dwenn step up behind her and tipped up her head to smiled at him, "This is my neighbor, Dwenn"

Lucius froze, his eyes a mixture of fear, anger, and disbelief. Hermione found it odd that Dwenn suddenly smirked at her friend as if he knew him, "Evening Malfoy. Long time"

Lucius growled, "Rabastan" Hermione blinked. As in LeStrange? "Not nearly long enough"

There was a sound on the other side of the room and Hermione's eyes were drawn to Dwenn's brother Jarvis entering the room. Dwenn smiled as he snaked an arm forward and wrapped it around her waist.

"Brother, it appears we have company"

Jarvis smiled wickedly, twirling his wand in his hand, eyes trained on Lucius "It appears we do, brother"

Hermione turned her head back and forth between the two trying to get her head to catch up. The darkness was creeping in faster now and she began to breathe heavily trying to stave it off. Her eyes locked with Lucius'.

"Lucius?" she whimpered. There was a firm pressure at the side of her neck that she recognized as the point of a wand.

"Not a step old man. She will die if you move"

The emotions were running through his eyes too fast for her to catch, "Lucius!" she cried out.

Dwenn grabbed her harder, and stepped forward, preparing to apparate. As he turned on his heel she screamed once more at the green glow she saw from over his shoulder emitted from Jarvis' wand. The last vision she had before the darkness took over was that of Lucius' body crumpling to the floor.


	12. Chapter 12

It was warm. That was the first thing she thought as thin threads of light pushed their ways past her eyelashes. A plush white comforter was tucked up under her arms and snug around her chest, wrapping her tightly in its embrace. She hummed with pleasure at the feeling of the blankets around her body. She was warm, safe, tranquil. The light lassitude coming from verging on too much sleep settled into her bones even as the outside world began to filter into her senses. Sunlight played on her face, the smell of lavender and vanilla combining pleasantly to sedate, and the soft ticking of a clock somewhere in the room thrummed a metronome against the passage of time.

She sighed contentedly, and smiled as she felt the bed dip behind her. The blankets briefly lifted before a warm, hard body pressed up behind her, wrapping an arm around her midsection and pulling her back against it. Feather light kisses were pressed against the side of her neck, and a nose nuzzled the shell of her ear. A breathless moan trickled out past her lips and she squirmed backwards against her visitor.

"Hermione" her name was whispered against her neck, and she fluttered her eyes open to look into two silver orbs filled with longing and lust. Her left hand snaked up and grabbed the back of his head, twining with platinum silk as she pulled his lips down to meet her own.

"Lucius" she murmured against his lips, "You're ok" He moved his mouth against hers, drawing out a more audible, definite moan from her throat. His hands stroked her sides, sliding against her skin and skimming the underside of her breasts.

"Of course kitten" he muttered back, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"The LeStrange brothers" she whispered and he hushed her with soft puffs of breath.

"Nothing. Easy to deal with when Harry arrived. They are in custody now" She nodded complacently at him, feeling too good to want to carry on further conversation. She could feel a bulge pressing against her bottom and she groaned as one hand traveled from her breast down to the junction between her legs. He echoed it as he discovered her lack of hair, skimming the soft skin with fingertips, "Keeping trimmed for anyone special?"

There was a note of possession and jealousy in his voice, even as his wicked fingertips smoothed their way around her lips, teasing her with their purpose. She whined against him and shook her head, "You, Lucius. Always, only for you"

He muttered a soft obscenity as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, his fingers plunging between her fold and into her warm, tight depths. She gasped, a cracked sound as he began to work her clit, expertly bringing her to the edge of pleasurable oblivion. The skin across her shoulders and chest began to tingle and tighten, and she arched against him one hand grabbing his shoulder and the other fisting the sheets under her.

"I love you Hermione" he breathed into her ear and she let out a sweet keening as her nerves exploded, bringing her over the edge and into bliss. His fingers stilled, holding her tight against him, allowing her wet walls to milk him as she became rigid in her orgasm. A moment later she collapsed against him, sobbing softly as her eyes became damp at his admission. He stroked her arms, whispering lovingly into her ear, nuzzling her neck tenderly as she came back down to earth.

Hermione sniffled, allowing herself to feel the great rush of pleasure that was threatening to consume her soul, before she acknowledged the tingling of her skin had turned into a sharper pinching sensation. Wincing she sniffled again and then paused. Sandlewood and green tea. She sniffed again, trying to act convincing enough that he might not notice that she knew something was wrong. Lucius always smelled of warm tobacco and firewhiskey and fine cologne. She tampered down the rushing beat of her heart, and twisted her head to look back at his face. Grey eyes, soft with emotion smiled at her and she forced herself to smile back, pretending nothing was wrong. But there was. Around his irises was the smallest circle of brown. She knew Lucius' eyes like she knew her own flat, and his were a complex swirl of grey and black and white, but there was no brown. She reached a hand back to touch his face and the pain along her upper body intensified.

Silver shimmered, blazing to life as she leaned in to kiss him, searing her skin as their lips touched again. She gasped and then shrieked in pain, allowing the moment of surprise to help propel herself out of bed and away from her seducer. In that instant, the charm fell and she yanked a sheet off the bed to cover her body as she realized the severity of the situation.

Dwenn – she shook her head – Rabastan lay on the bed in only his boxers, looking surprised to see her standing. A small hint of amusement, and something akin to admiration played across his face as he perused her form. She sucked in a deep breath, cursing silently in her head as she stared at him and then snapped her eyes up to the man who moved silently across the room. Rodolphus was not nearly as handsome as his brother, but he had an agility and grace about him that drew people in. His face was harder lined, more weathered than Rabastan's, but there was the same dark skin, same chocolate eyes and sleek black hair. His fingers twitched forcing her eyes to acknowledge the small knife in them and she shivered as she recognized what it was for. Stories about Rodolphus' lust for blood were legendary, and watching his fingers lithely play with the metal she was suddenly quite certain they had not been embellished.

She took in the scene for a full minute before a low chuckle broke the silence.

"Well done kitten"

She wrinkled her nose and glanced down at Rabastan on the bed. He was smiling at her, his eyes perusing her form. She blushed as she pulled the sheet up higher in front of her breasts, and then tipped her chin up defiantly. If she was going to go out, it would not be without a fight.

"You didn't say anything about wards little brother" Rodolphus's voice was smooth honey that drizzled across the room.

"I didn't know she had them. Our kitten here has been busy. And sneaky" came the lazy response. Hermione clenched her jaw, unwilling to join into their game.

"So much for your plan. I prefer it this way anyhow. A little struggle to get the blood going" menace, and appreciation laced the statement and Hermione tensed, her head trying to catch up and form a plan.

"You won't get away with it" she said softly, wheels frantically turning as she tried to buy time. Rabastan licked his lips and gave her a sad smile.

"That is not the point. It will happen regardless" he responded, lying back on the bed and tucking both hands behind his head, "I was trying to make it a little kinder for you"

She felt her stomach recoil and her heart gave a sympathetic squeeze. This was Dwenn. Her sweet Dwenn whom had been her close friend and confidant. Who had comforted her when she was hurting, celebrated with her when she was joyful and been there for the past 5 years. How could she not have known?

"Somehow I don't feel the inclination to thank you" she responded acerbically. Her runes pinched her sharply and she cursed, eyes jumping to Rodolphus who had wordlessly crept closer during the exchange. His lips twisted into a cruel smile and he fingered his knife again. Sighing she lifted her hand and softly commanded

"Accio knife"

The small knife shivered in his hand momentarily and then forcefully yanked itself past his fingers and into her awaiting palm. Rabastan gave a barking laugh and sat up.

"Good job, kitten. Unfortunately I'm afraid you've just presented my brother with an even greater challenge however, and that is never wise"

Hermione would never be entirely sure of what happened in the next few seconds. She knew that Rodolphus had made his move, launching himself across the room at her. She knew that she threw her arms up to protect herself, simultaneously dropping the bedsheet and releasing the little knife in a silent spell that she prayed would find it's mark. Her eyes squinted shut as she awaited the impact of Rodolphus's body with her own…but it never came.

After what seemed like eons, she opened one eye and then the other, gasping in shock at the changed scene. Rodolphus dangled in the air, frozen and suspended a metre away from her head. Rabastan lay motionless on the bed, the blade having found it's mark between his eyes which now stared at the wall lifelessly. And beyond them both was her savior adorned in black and crowned with a golden halo. His wand was out, and trained on Rodolphus, the statis spell streaming from the end of it to encompass the elder brother.

"Lucius" she breathed. His eyes locked with hers and she swallowed hard at the mixture of emotions she found swirling in them.

"Come here" he commanded, his tone not one to be dismissed. She obeyed without thinking, her feet taking her to his side as her hands greedily grabbed his arms, his shirt, anything she could touch. His face softened as he took her in and his free hand grabbed her chin, pulling her in to him for a brief, bruising kiss before he again commanded "Go now. I will finish this. You will go to my house and wait for me" She nodded and stumbled towards the fireplace at the other side of the room. Before throwing in the handful of powder she paused and looked back over her shoulder at him, knowing that Rodolphus would likely not survive whatever happened next. It surprised her only a little to realize she simply did not care.

"Malfoy Manor!"


	13. Chapter 13

Lucius watched closely as Hermione escaped through the floo, calling for the Manor. Satisfied she was beyond reach, he grasped the second button of his shirt and rubbed it with his thumb in first a clockwise and then counter clockwise pattern before releasing Rodolphus to the ground.

The dark haired man cackled, as he stood and turned towards Lucius, "Well, I suppose some things never do change. You always were soft when it came to the ones you love" A cold smile twisted his lips.

"Some call it softness. Others call it strength" came his controlled response. Rodolphus snorted, a short flick of his head.

"You should be controlled by no one. No thing. You should be unbound to do as you please," he sneered, "Don't you forget, I've seen you Lucius. The real you. I know what lies in your heart. I know what you've done. What you're capable of doing. What do you think your little mudblood would think of the things I could tell her?"

Lucius's mouth straightened into a thin line as he twisted his wand cruelly, and there was a loud snap as the elder Lestrange son's left arm broke at the middle of his humerus. Rodolphus cried out in surprise, the bottom of the limb swinging freely in response to the force of the spell. He laughed, using his right hand to tuck his left arm against his side.

"You will not get the chance to ever see even a hair on her head again" promised Lucius. Rodolphus grinned toothily.

"Oh, I do believe quite the contrary. What would she think about this? Do you think she would approve of your actions?" he needled. Another slash of the wand, and a thin line of blood appeared across his cheek. He laughed, "She's quite gotten under your skin, hasn't she? I don't blame you. Brilliant mind, that one. And quite the delicious treat"

Lucius growled, "Do not speak of her again"

Rodolphus's grin got wider as he took a measured step closer, "You mean of Miss Granger? Hermione? The delightful witch whom we've watched for 3 years as she pined over you? As she grew in power and blossomed into a woman, waiting for you to notice? You know, she's quite the treat to watch when she's asleep. She moans so sweetly...except for when she screams. And when she screams, it's always about you"

The next snap was drowned out by a crack, and Rodolphus cried out again as he dropped to the floor, his right leg bent at an unnatural angle. Lucius turned to face his companion, grey eyes meeting grey, reaching out to him.

"Draco" he started softly. Draco shook his head, grasping his father's hand in his own briefly, before turning to face Rodolphus.

"It's a shame," came out his grief graveled voice, "That Hermione killed Rabastan already. I do believe he would appreciate the justice of this moment"

Rodolphus replied through clenched teeth, "Draco. What a pleasant surprise"

Draco lifted his wand, pointing it at the restrained man. Rodolphus hissed a word, and a razor thin line of ruby appeared across the younger man's waist. "It's too bad your fiancee couldn't join us. It would have been a real treat to watch her die. How was it? Was there enough blood before the mudblood got there? Did she scream? Did she beg to live?"

Draco snarled, stabbing his want forward, and blood blossomed from the middle of Rodolphus's left shoulder. Lucius reached over, squeezing Draco's wrist, causing his son to turn back to him, "Draco" he said softly, "You can never come back from this. You can never undo this. We can still turn him into the ministry"

"That's right Draco, listen to your dear old dad. You may be a blood traitor, but you aren't a murderer. Yet" Rodolphus grinned, and wriggled the fingers of his right hand. Lucius stumbled backwards, bright purple bruise appearing above his left brow. Draco growled and swung back towards Rodolphus, slashing his wand arm down, opening a laceration that split the man's face in two. Rodolphus howled and laughed simultaneously, his unhinged nature finally coming loose. "Ah, if only your precious Amelia could see you now!"

"Don't pretend she had anything to do with this. None of them did. This is your own sickness, your own disease. You're the typhoid mary that keeps re-infecting this country over, and over, pretending that it wants to be this way. But not any more. Never again. I will rid this place of you for forever" defied Draco.

Draco cast a binding spell, pinning Rodolphus where he stood, "I promise. You will feel all of this" He turned back to Lucius and nodded, "We can't come back from this. But we can get some revenge for those who will never have any" He tucked his wand into it's holster at his waist, and began rolling up his sleeves. Lucius nodded, drawing up tall. He removed the black ribbon from his pocket, tying his hair back before rolling his sleeves. It was a formality, really. There would be no escaping the blood.

Draco hit first, his fist glancing across Rodolphus's right cheek, splitting the skin beneath his eye. Lucius was second, breaking his nose upon impact. As Draco landed the third blow, busting lips against his teeth, there was a throat cleared behind them. Lucius paused, fist in mid air, ready for his next strike, looking behind him.

"Mister Malfoy"

"Mister Potter"

"Hermione told me where to find you. She informed me that the Lestrange brothers would be here, and that one would already be dead," he replied conversationally. Lucius lowered his arm.

"I see," was the terse answer.

"Just in the knick of time, Mr. Potter" gurgled Rodolphus, "Always the ministry man. I beg you, take me into custody"

"Hmmm," Harry removed his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief from his pocket, "And whom might you be?"

Rodolphus sputtered, blood spattering across Draco's shirt, "YOU KNOW WHO I AM!" he shrieked

"Do I?" came the mild response, a black eyebrow raised above wire frames, "I must admit, I haven't the foggiest of whom you are. To my knowledge, the LeStrange brothers perished in a collapsed building years ago"

Rodolphus let out a muted howl, "I am Rodolphus LeStrange! I demand to be taken in!"

"So sorry, Rudy. One of the rules at the Ministry is to never negotiate with terrorists. And if you are one of the LeStrange brothers, I'm fairly certain you fall square in the middle of that category"

Lucius could feel his lips curving into a feral grin, new respect for the Gryffindor growing. Harry didn't return the smile, but there was a small curve of his lips as he addressed the two Malfoy men.

"You know I cannot sanction this"

"But, Potter!" protested Draco, despair welling up in his voice. Harry raised his hand, gaze pointed.

"I cannot sanction this. But what I don't see, I don't have to report. I just need proof"

Lucius's lips curled into a wicked grin, and he grasped his wand once more. A spell was uttered, and Rodolphus screamed as something pulled and popped within his mouth, floating out to Lucius's awaiting palm. "First premolar, I believe. Will this suffice?"

"Quite"came the succint reply, "Might I make a suggestion?"

Lucius waved a hand, and Harry continued, "Make sure the most important blows are not magical. I'd hate to have to take you in for murder" Lucius and Draco exchanged glances, and nodded tightly.

For the first time, as Harry turned to go back through the floo, true fear flickered across Rodolphus's face, "Potter?!" he screeched, "You can't do this! This makes you no better than us!"

Harry smiled blandly, flicking his wand wordlessly. Rodolphus's eyes widened, his lips suddenly magically sewn shut, and he began to struggle in earnest against his bonds "Sometimes, Rudy, you don't have to be better. You just have to be good enough" And with a flash of green, he was gone.

Lucius turned back to Rodolphus, the visage of the killer, the death eater beneath the mask, firmly in place. Draco's lips settled into a grim line.

"You know, for all the spells and curses, there was always something so much more gratifying about doing this the muggle way" Lucius nodded, the resolution he saw in his son's eyes mirrored in his own. It was the decision to never let this man hurt them again. Never let him hurt anyone again.

The only sounds in the room were the repeated thumps of skin against skin, until it the bound body could move no more.


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione paced the floor to Lucius' office, firewhiskey in hand as she waited for him to return. Her heart beat an unpleasant staccato in her chest, unsure if she trusted that he would be safe or if she believed he would be harmed by Rodolphus. She'd intercepted Harry at the Manor, telling him of what had occurred. He'd somehow managed to track her magical signature back through the Floo to wherever she'd come from. She believed that the brothers had taken her to wherever Rodolphus had been holed up, but actually had scarcely a clue.

After Harry had departed, she'd been left on her own to worry and stew over all the things that had happened, and all the things that might still happen. The residual gratitude she'd had at being found was lying under a layer of anxiety that the person whom she felt was the radiant other half of her world was currently risking his very life for her. She didn't know what she would do if he was hurt. If he died. She shuddered at the thought, pulling her arms closer to her torso.

She'd managed to find a long, soft dress shirt and pair of drawstring pants of Lucius' to cover herself with, and his scent lingered on them. She grasped the collar and burrowed her nose into it, inhaling deeply. Her heart stuttered again, and she felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes. She knew. She'd known for so long that his presence mattered, that seeing him was what helped her get out of bed in the morning, that his touches and chaste caresses kept her buoyant when the rest of the world wanted to drag her down. But, she'd lied to herself and chocked it up to friendship. To companionship. To family. To the belief that they were their own special kind of family.

But tonight. Tonight, when it had all been laid bare. When her nerves had been tested, and the life she'd believed in had been stolen away, she'd known. She loved him. He possessed her heart in ways she was afraid to admit even to herself. If he didn't make it...

The Floo blazed to life, and Hermione cried out as Lucius stepped through. She dropped her glass onto his desk with a clatter and ran towards him. He looked up, startled at the sound, and caught her as she threw herself against him.

"Lucius" she exclaimed, arms winding around his neck, head burrowing into his shoulder. His arms encircled her, pulling her tightly against him, shushing her softly.

"Shhh, I'm here, I'm alright" Hermione sobbed, unable to hold it in.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to... I was so afraid..." she couldn't get the words out, but she knew she didn't have to. She knew he could finish it for her. One arm remained around her waist, and the other slipped up to cradle the back of her head as he pressed his lips against her temple.

"I know. I know. You silly woman, I know what you did and why you did it. And I will always follow you, Hermione. Always", he murmured into her hair. Hermione pushed gently back, catching his eyes with her own, wide and shimmering with unshed tears.

"I love you, Lucius" the words tumbled out before she could stop them, but she knew she didn't want to. Even if it meant the end of everything that had been, she needed him to know. He was the other half of her whole, and she'd almost lost her chance to tell him.

His nostrils flared, and she felt the hand in her hair tighten, pulling her head back gently as he leaned forward and slanted his mouth over hers. She whined against him, closing her eyes as his lips slid sweetly, gently, into place. His tongue requested entrance, and she opened her mouth to let him in. She felt the arm around her waist slide down and tuck under her bottom, encouraging her to lift up. She jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist in response, and she felt a tug at her belly button as they apparated from his office.

As they landed, Hermione opened her eyes, not surprised to find them in his bedroom. He deposited her softly at the end of his bed in a seated position, and she whined a little again as he stepped back, away from her. A faintly amused smile quirked his lips as he let go, sliding his fingers down her arms to her hands, and then letting them drop into her lap. She tilted her head back to take him in, eyes wandering across the features of his face that she knew so well, had memorized over the years. Her brow furrowed at the fading purled bruise above one eye, and she reached up towards him. He grasped the hand in his own, opening the palm towards himself and and kissing it, before replacing it in her lap again.

"Nothing" he graveled, "It's healing. It will be fine" At that moment she took in the rest of his appearance – sleeves rolled up, fading bruises across his knuckles, blood spattered across his shirt and slacks. Consternation scrolled across her features, and his softened as he took in her expression, "It's not mine" though he offered no other explanation. Hermione didn't need any.

Lucius looked up, for a moment, and ran a hand raggedly through his hair, unbinding it from it's tie. It slipped loose and settled around his shoulders. He took a deep breath before looking back down, grey eyes pinning her to her spot on the bed. Slowly, he unbuttoned his shirt, one at a time, before peeling it off of his torso and tossing it off to the side. When it was gone, he stepped forward again, landing on both knees in front of Hermione. She instinctively dropped her legs apart, allowing him to get closer. He placed his arms gently on the outer edges of her legs, thumbs brushing the edges of her thighs. She could see the emotions play across his features, and echoed in his eyes.

He watched her for a long moment, his eyes playing across her own face. His presence, the physical being of him in front of her, was settling to her, and she felt her tension begin to ease. Her eyes caught his again, and he lifted his left hand to brush her cheek, a small smile settling onto his lips. She turned her head to kiss his knuckle as it passed her lips. He took in a sharp breath, and she looked back at him, butterflies coming to life in her stomach.

"I wasn't raised to show much emotion," he began, and she startled a little at the words, "In fact, for much of my young life it was frowned upon. If I felt something, I was meant to hide it. Feelings were for the weak, and to be exploited. Love didn't exist in our homes, our lives, our marriages"

He paused, his gaze becoming more intent, "I didn't love Narcissa. Perhaps, I became quite fond of her. And she was kind to me, within the confines of our marriage. She knew her part, and played it well, but we had a home. And a family. The first I knew of love was when Draco was born. The moment I saw his face, I knew I loved him" Hermioned nodded, reaching forward to stroke his hair.

"I've made a mess of most of the things in my life. I lost many people who didn't live long enough, partly because of my stupid pride. But you... I don't know how or why the stars aligned, but I consider myself the luckiest man alive to have you in my life. You've shown me an existence I'd only read about, allowed me to feel more than I ever thought possible, and have opened me up to a world I never thought I would be able to touch. Hermione, I love you doesn't even begin to tell you how I feel about you"

He stood up then, both hands catching her face in them, leaning forward to press her backwards along the bed, "You are my sun and my moon. You are the stars in my sky, and breeze in my sails. You lift me up when I don't think I need it, and you keep my heart beating when I do. When I don't think I can take another breath, you're the reason I do. I couldn't exist without you, and don't want to imagine a world in which you weren't there. My heart is yours, always, forever"

And then his lips were on hers again, and she felt the tears she'd been holding back slip down her face as he descended on top of her. Her mouth opened, allowing him entrance, and their tongues tangled languidly as she returned his feeling in the only way she could. She could feel him smile against her mouth, and a bubble of laughter lifted up through her. He tilted, pulling her so they were on their sides, face to face, and drew back. She bumped her nose against his, placing another chaste kiss against his lips.

"I'm yours, Lucius. I have been for years. Yours and yours alone" she said gently, eyes watching his as the words settled on his ears. He closed his lids tightly for a moment, and she was surprised to see a dampness at the corners when they opened again, "You softy" she teased lightly. He laughed, and growled mockingly as he dove back for her mouth, hands pulling her more urgently against him.

Hermioned moaned against his mouth again, this time with a different urgency, and she felt Lucius' reply in his throat. Her fingers danced along his back, before skimming lightly along the smooth planes of his skin. He groaned throatily into her mouth as his own hands traveled up beneath the dress shirt and grasped reflexively at her waist. His hips ground forward, and the evidence of his arousal pressed against her hip.

Hermione mewled, rubbing forward against him, one of her palms splaying against his buttock and rocking him against her again. Lucius growled, and his lips latched onto her neck as he suckled, his own fingers working their way up to her unbound breasts. He cupped them in his palms, lightly squeezing before plucking at her nipples. Then they were back out, urgently slipping buttons through their holes to get her shirt loose.

Hermione chuckled a little at his urgency and reached up to help, at which he slapped her hands away. Surprised, she raised an eyebrow at him, and was rewarded with an impish smile. Her lips curved, and she reached down instead, hands outlining his erection through his pants. She was rewarded with an urgent groan, and she stroked him through the fabric, listening to his barely controlled noises at her touch.

Buttons undone, Lucius pushed the shirt off her shoulders and down to her wrists. She obligingly moved her arms back to help get it off, but he stopped it at her wrists, twisting the fabric so she was unable to move her limbs. A wicked gleam glinted in his eyes as he grabbed the fabric in one hand, and used the other to reach down into her pants for her core. She panted, and whined, allowing her legs to fall apart and giving him access to the most intimate part of herself. He leaned forward and licked her neck from shoulder to ear as his fingers slicked and plunged through her folds.

"Lucius" she cried out as one, and then two fingers slid into her.

"Hmmmmm" he murmured against her neck. She wriggled against the shirt, desperate to wrap her arms around him again. He chuckled against her, abruptly freeing her wrists and standing up. She whinged at the loss of contact until she realized he was unbuttoning his slacks. His erection sprung free as he dropped them down, turgid and weeping with precum. Hermione squirmed her arms out of the offending shirt, and untied the string at the top of her own pants. As soon as the tie was loosened, Lucius grabbed them near her ankles and pulled them off. Then he was on top of her again.

"Hermione" he whispered against her mouth, falling full and hard against her. She moaned back, her legs falling open, pressing instinctively down towards him, "Never again, Hermione. Never again will you be alone. Never forget how much I love you"

She cried out as he drove forward, and drove home, his cock sliding into her wet heat. He paused a moment, groan on his lips as they took each other in for the first time. She felt her pussy pulse around him spasmodically, appreciatively. Lucius grasped her hips and buried his head into the crook of her shoulder for a moment, breathing heavily. "Witch, you feel so good" he murmured into her damp skin. She whimpered, rolling her hips against him, seeking more friction. He chuckled against her before pulling out slowly, and pressing back in. She cried out, loudly at the feel.

Lucius began with a slow, teasing pace. She could feel every inch of his length as he slowly pulled out and pushed back in against her, and she mewled at him, "Oh gods, Lucius. Please, give me more" He grunted, and grasped her left thigh, lifting it up as he bended her knee, allowing him deeper access. She hissed his name again, and her fingers dug into his back and hip simultaneously.

Lucius growled at the pain, and snapped his hips forward more forcefully. Hermioned cried out at the sweet ache, and the sound seemed to set something off in him. His pace increased, and he pounded forward into her heat, grunts and groans the only sounds between them. Lucius used his free hand to reach down and grasp under Hermione's hips, tipping them up so that each thrust hit a sweet bundle of nerves inside of her. Her groans turned to shrieks, and she felt her orgasm approaching swiftly.

"Lucius" she cried out, her head twisting to the side, "I'm going to come" He grunted in appreciation, and increased his efforts, snapping his hips more precisely as he felt her tighten around him. She howled as she began to come, walls fluttering against his dick, back arched as she exploded around him. He clamped his mouth onto hers as she came, holding her tight against him. A bubble of laughter slipped through her lips as she began to come back down, only to be lost in a gasp as he flipped her over.

Lucius grasped the globes of her ass and moaned appreciatively as he surveyed her from behind, "I thought about this so many times when you were leaned over my desk"

Hermione trilled, "You weren't the only one" and Lucius groaned as he lined himself up with her center and thrust back in.

"Someday, I will take you over it" he promised, voice low and next to her ear. She shivered at the sensation, and he began thrusting in earnest again. She returned the effort, meeting him thrust for thrust as he sought his own release. It didn't take long for his own pace to become broken, stuttered, and she felt his fingers circle around her clit as he began to lose control. "Come with me Hermione" he whispered in her ear, and she felt herself begin to go over the ledge again.

This time she could only moan wordlessly, as she felt him thrust hard once, twice, and then still within her as he reached his own peak of relief with a cracked cry. She could feel him leak out of her, and a mix of arousal and cum start to slip down her thighs while he was still inside of her. She shuddered, her orgasm long and strong against him.

After several breathless moments, Lucius released her hips and fell forward over her back, kissing her neck sweetly. "You are every bit as amazing as I thought you would be" he murmured into her ear before pulling out and away. She keened at the loss of their connection, but he shushed her again, as he fell to his side and brought her with him, face to face. He reached up and brushed a curl out of her eyes before kissing her on the nose.

Hermione could feel herself grinning giddily, and could do very little to stop it. To her surprise, Lucius smiled and laughed at her expression. "All I want to do is make you smile like that, every day, for the rest of our lives"

As she leaned towards him to capture his lips in her own she replied, "I think that can be arranged"


	15. Chapter 15

_It had been two weeks since Narcissa Malfoy had passed on. Two weeks of tumultuous guilt and grief tangled with relief, and to escape it all Hermione had done what she always did. She'd thrown herself back into her work with the intent to both forget her failure and try to save someone else. Narcissa had called her in to her rooms before passing away, at a brief moment where both Malfoy men had been absent. To Hermione's chagrin, not only had the Malfoy matriarch thanked her she also told her she didn't hold her accountable for her current state. It had taken everything she had not to break down crying in front of the older woman._

 _Her last words to Hermione had been, "Please, make sure my family is ok". That evening, she had died with both men present. Hermione hadn't seen either since then, and truthfully had no idea how she would fulfill the witch's last wishes. Though, her desire to see them wasn't only due to Narcissa's request, as she actually missed her time spent with both of them – not that she'd ever admit that out loud. Draco had become an unusually enjoyable companion, and someone she felt completely comfortable with. Lucius, on the other hand, was someone whom she could spend hours discussing any manner of topics and while they didn't always agree they could always explore all sides in a civilized fashion to come to a reasonable understanding of each others opinion._

 _Bringing herself out of her thoughts and back into the present moment, Hermione sucked in a breath as the ball of liquid hovered in the air above her head. As she swiped her wand to the left and back to the right it mimicked her movements, and she bounced on her toes for a moment. It was working! The globule shimmered, flickering from ultramarine to midnight blue, and twisted around itself as it hung in the air._

" _Miss Granger?" a voice filtered in from the other room in her lab, and she creased her brow a moment noting a small droplet coming loose from the side of the ball._

" _Back here!" she shouted back, frowning as the liquid started to rotate quickly around itself. That...That was not supposed to happen. She pantomimed her wand in an imitation of throwing the ball across the room but didn't move from it's spot approximately a meter above her head. Instead, the edges began to bubble. Bugger._

" _Miss Granger" came a voice from the door of her lab._

" _Don't move!" she ordered, trying to figure out how to get the liquid to move away from herself and her research notes. She waved her wand frantically, noting that the movements only seemed to cause it to bubble more and turn more rapidly. This was not good. This was decidedly falling into the bad category._

 _She opened her mouth to give the order to dissolve, just as the glob glimmered a kelly green color and exploded. She threw her hands up to cover her face, only to feel herself yanked unceremoniously across the room. Sidelong? One moment she was at the back of the room, next she was at the door. As she processed her new location, she noted two things simultaneously. One, green goo was covering her research notes and now most of her bench and floor. Two, she was pressed tightly to a warm, firm, quite delicious smelling person. She swung her head up to look at her savior and gasped, "Lucius?"_

 _The blonde quirked an eyebrow at her use of his first name, and she flushed unconsciously, a lopsided smile on her lips. "What in Merlin's name was that?" was his only response. Hermoine coughed, sheepishly, and it seemed to startle him into releasing her from his embrace._

" _I am trying to develop a way to deliver medications and treatments to persons from a distance. Either those who can't be touched, or whom shouldn't" she explained, scrunching her face at the sudden pain she felt on her forearms. "That was a prototype. It was going great...until it wasn't"_

" _Hm. I assume explosion is not it's intended effect?" Hermione shook her head sharply, looking down at her limbs. Her eyes widened as she saw the boils starting to form on her wrists and hands._

" _Bugger!" she exclaimed. Lucius looked down and sucked in a breath, grabbing her hand in his own._

" _What the?" he muttered. She cried out in pain, pushing past him and back into the other room. Running across the lab, she headed directly for her sink and thrust her arms under the stream of water after turning it on._

" _Bugger, bugger, bugger, SHITE!" she cursed, tears welling up in pain. She scrubbed her arms furiously, trying to get the residual potion off of them. Lucius followed her as she rushed back across the room for a small cabinet above her desk, fumbling with the contents inside. She grabbed a squat, opaque vial, and struggled for a moment with the lid before dropping it on her desk with a wail._

 _Lucius immediately grabbed it, and opened the top. Without hesitation he dipped his fingers inside, taking a large dab of the salve into his hand. He grabbed her right hand with his left, and began applying to the festering wounds. She whined at the contact, and he shushed her softly, gently massaging it into the skin. When he finished with the first arm, he grabbed the other, until both were covered and the skin fading from bright red to it's normal hue. Hermione's tears ebbed into sniffle as the pain began to subside._

" _Thank you" she whispered. His face was full of consternation as he looked back at her._

" _Are you alright?" It was the last question she expected from him, but she was perhaps even more surprised that she wasn't surprised by it._

" _I have an unfortunate allergy to salamander tears. I first found out during my internship when someone dropped a vial on me. It is, however, a great stabilizing ingredient normally, so I had included it in this potion with hopes it would create a secure delivery system"_

" _I see" his tone held a hint of amusement. She huffed a little and rolled her eyes._

" _I think it was the mushroom caps. Or maybe the nargle hair" she tapped a finger against her lips, eyes glazing over as she started considering what had gone wrong, "Maybe the spell to move it provided too much heat"_

" _Miss Granger", Lucius interrupted her._

" _Hermione" she corrected him. Lucius's eyes widened, and he cocked his head at her, "I think we can safely move beyond surnames, don't you?"_

 _He cleared his throat, before continuing, "Miss Granger...Would you perhaps like to join Draco and myself for dinner?"_

 _Her eyes widened again, and she gave him a quizzical look, "Join you? For dinner?" she repeated, somewhat dumbly. It was at that moment she realized that he was still holding her hand, his thumb stroking the back of it unconsciously. Her fingers squeezed his reflexively, and he looked down, apparently just as unaware at his own actions._

" _Ah, yes. Food" he replied, in a disjointed manner that she would realize over the years meant he was completely out of sorts. A small smile graced her lips._

" _Actually, that sounds wonderful" she responded, squeezing his hand intentionally this time. He returned a controlled quirk of his lips, and stepped back, allowing her hand to drop._

" _Wonderful" he rumbled, "Half past seven?" She nodded succinctly._

" _I look forward to it"_

Bright light suffused the bedroom, and worked its way under her lids as she fought off the impending morning. She dragged the comforter back over her head, unwilling to wake up and force herself to leave this incredible bed. She groaned petulantly, pulling the sheets against herself as she tried to delve in deeper. The mattress was, of course, exquisitely expensive but so completely worth it. And it didn't hurt that her constant bed companion was also extremely satisfying to snuggle with. It made mornings more of a terrible chore than a way to cheerfully greet the new day.

Speaking of companions, she heard a light chuckle from the foot of the bed and she groaned again. The bed dipped, and the blanket pulled back, exposing her face to the morning light.

"Good morning" he said softly, and she wiped her hand across her face.

"If you'd let it, it could be good afternoon" she responded, unwilling to open her eyes yet. There was another soft chuckle before the bed dipped and she could feel him settle over her.

"But that means a few hours less with you" he murmured as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. She couldn't help the grin that stole across her face, and she relented, turning her head to look up at Lucius's face. At her movement he leaned back, kneeling with his legs on either side of hers. She struggled a moment to turn over, and caught her breath as she took in his face for the first time that day.

It had been a year since the LeStrange brothers. A year since they had declared their love for each other, and she'd essentially moved in to the Manor that night. Not that she hadn't fought him when he'd finally talked to her, 4 months later, about giving up her own flat and calling it official. However, she'd given in to sense when he flooed back that evening with McCartney and the damned cat had actually spent the night curled up in the often taciturn man's lap as he read a book in his favorite chair.

Not that Lucius was particularly reserved with her. In fact, he was quite attentive, thoughtful and open. On the few occasions he chose not to elaborate or let her in she let him maintain his silence, until he would later either confess or continue on as if nothing had happened. Of course, they'd had their rows from time to time much like any couple. Such as when he'd invited over the Notts for dinner and had automatically had the elves set the table with the good china that Narcissa had chosen for them. The resulting argument had covered not only house elves and their rights, but what self-respecting home had gold lined china, and why would it be acceptable to display the very set that represented his previous marriage. It was concluded with the china being replaced, the elves remaining in paid employment, and a very rough shag on top of the dining room table wherein Lucius reminded her forcefully that she was not a replacement and the original he craved more than any other.

Having been through a war, and it's associated pain and loss, helped both develop perspective on what was important to them, and what they wanted. And to put a fine point on it, Hermione wanted Lucius and Lucius wanted Hermione. So, regardless of arguments, they always came back to the decision to keep loving each other. And it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Sunlight glinted off Lucius' platinum hair, which was loose around his face which was free of any shadows. The effect was the make him appear as if he had a halo, and she unconsciously reached for him. He smiled, a full, beautiful, unencumbered smile that encompassed his whole face and she returned it. Her heart panged, overfull with emotion and affection for the man before her.

"I love you" they said simultaneously, and she laughed a little as she cocked her head to the side. He moved then, and her eyes watched as he reached into his pocket, pulling something out.

"I was going to do this later" he confessed, mercurial eyes on hers again, "When we go out tonight. But, I don't want to wait" She sucked in air sharply, and she looked down at the small band in his fingertips. It was a thin platinum band, scrolled to look like ivy and leaves, and on the top was adorned a faint pink diamond, cut to look like a blooming flower. Her heart skipped a beat, "Hermione Jean Granger, would you do me the honor of becoming my partner? My wife?"

Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes and she nodded, before shoving the blankets down and reaching for him, pulling her down on top of him. He kissed her then, deeply, thoughtfully, thoroughly, and when they came up gasping he placed the ring on her left hand. He rolled off to the side, still on top of the covers and she rolled over to face him, cupping his cheek with the same hand. His expression was one of joy, and he turned his head to kiss her palm.

"I love you, Lucius" she said softly, and he leaned forward to press a kiss on her lips. She pulled back after a moment, and furrowed her brow before replying, "I have a gift for you, too" His brows raised as he stroked the side of her face, tucking a hair next to her ear.

"That's certainly not necessary" he drawled, placing a soft kiss on her nose and trying to catch her lips again. She pulled back, her face a little nervous.

"I know. But, I don't think I could pass this one by" she responded. Consternation crossed his features suddenly at her expression. She pulled her lip between her teeth, and then grasped his hand and placed it on her lower belly. He froze, understanding blooming across his face, and she chewed on her lip more forcefully as she waited for his response. They hadn't talked about this yet, but it wasn't exactly as if they had been careful for the past year either. Her eyes sought his, and held them as she watched the emotions process through them. To her surprise, she saw wetness gather at the corners and then he cried out wordlessly as he pulled her tightly to him, pressing kisses across her face.

"Truly?" he finally managed, looking down into her eyes. The earnestness of his hope and his fear, equal parts in his gaze, moved her. She nodded her head, smiled broadly.

"Yes, truly. I'm ah...about 10 weeks along" she replied. And then his lips were on hers, and he too was burrowed under the covers, and before she knew it they were both stripped of their clothes and she was begging him for more again. Because, what life was better than this?


End file.
